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Leafcutter ants are any of at least 55 species [1] [2] [3] of leaf-chewing ants belonging to the three genera Atta, Acromyrmex, and Amoimyrmex, within the tribe Attini. [4] These species of tropical, fungus-growing ants are all endemic to South and Central America, Mexico, and parts of the southern United States. [5]
This is a list of leafcutter ants, comprising 42 species from two genera: Atta and Acromyrmex. Species Image Common name Distribution Atta bisphaerica: Atta capiguara:
It is found in Texas, Louisiana, and north-eastern Mexico. [1] Other common names include town ant , parasol ant , fungus ant , cut ant , and night ant . It harvests leaves from over 200 plant species, and is considered a major pest of agricultural and ornamental plants , [ 2 ] as it can defoliate a citrus tree in less than 24 hours.
Leafcutter ants live only in South America, Mexico, Central America, and a few select areas of the Southern United States, including Texas.. There are at least 55 distinct species of leaf cutter ...
The presence of leaf-cutter ants is so common in the Neotropics, that they are considered to be the main herbivores of these areas., [2] [4] A. striatus is a polymorphic species, meaning that there are several different sizes of workers, with the largest being 6.5 mm long. [3]
Ants protect these leaf-feeding aphids, primarily because they secrete a sugar-rich liquid called honeydew. Large populations of aphids can stunt shoots and turn leaves yellow.
Atta cephalotes is a species of leafcutter ant in the tribe Attini (the fungus-growing ants). A single colony of ants can contain up to 5 million members, and each colony has one queen that can live more than 20 years. The colony comprises different castes, known as "task partitioning", and each caste has a different job to do. [2]
Atta mexicana is a species of leaf-cutter ant, a New World ant of the subfamily Myrmicinae of the genus Atta. This species is from one of the two genera of advanced attines (fungus-growing ants) within the tribe Attini .