LEAFCUTTER ANTS

 LEAFCUTTER ANTS

Leafcutter ants are very special species that are known for their behavior of cutting leaves and carrying them back to their nests. These ants belong to the genera Atta and Acromyrmex. They are typically reddish or brown in color and varies in size ranging from 2mm to about 16mm in length. Leafcutters primarily inhibit tropical and subtropical climatic regions, often creating extensive underground nests with complex tunnelling system. One thing that interests me in these ants is that they are mutualistic with fugus. Leafcutter ants do not eat the leaf directly. instead, they use the leaf fragments to cultivate a special type of fungus, which serves as their primary food source. This is truly amazing! So, what they actually do is that they use the leaves and put around where the fugus grow. When these leaves decompose, the fungus the nutrients to grow. When they reach maturity, then they are eaten by the ants; just like we people grow food by cultivating the soil so that we feed on them.