Leafcutter Ant — printable fact sheet

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Leafcutter Ant

Atta cephalotes

Leafcutter ants are remarkable insects known for their ability to cut and transport pieces of leaves many times their own body weight. These ants do not eat the leaves themselves, but instead use them to cultivate a special fungus, which serves as their primary food source. Livi…

Classification

Invertebrate

Family

Formicidae

Habitat

Tropical rainforest

Diet

Herbivore (fungus farmer)

Conservation status

Least Concern

Lifespan

Several months to 2 years (workers); up to 7 years (queen)

Weight

0.01–0.05 grams

Scientific name

Atta cephalotes

Did you know?

Leafcutter ant colonies can contain more than 8 million individuals, making them one of the largest and most complex animal societies on Earth.
Leafcutter ants are among the few animals that practice agriculture, cultivating their own fungal crops. Their underground nests can contain thousands of chambers and stretch over 30 meters in length. A single colony can defoliate a mature tree in just one day.

What I learned

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