Insects
Leafcutter ants
Atta spp.Conservation statusNot Evaluated
DietA fungus they grow
LifespanWorker 1-2 years, queen 15-20 years
Size and weight2-20 mm, depending on the job
Long lines of ants carry green pieces of leaf, bigger than their bodies. They follow a fixed path to the nest.
Cutting jaws
What makes it specialThey do not eat the leaves. They grow a fungus on them. This farming began tens of millions of years before humans.
Surprising factA colony has groups of ants of different sizes: cutters, carriers, guards and cleaners.
PopulationA fully grown colony has millions of ants.
On almost every forest walk