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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]
Town ant, parasol ant, fungus ant, Texas leafcutter ant, cut ant, night ant Texas, Louisiana, northeastern states of Mexico Atta vollenweideri: Acromyrmex ameliae: southern Brazil Acromyrmex ambiguus: Quenquém-preto-brilhante: Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay: Acromyrmex aspersus: Quenquém-rajada : southern Brazil and Peru: Acromyrmex balzani
The queen ant will deposit eggs that then hatch into cream colored larvae. Fully developed 1/4 to ½ inch long larvae form pupae. In the spring, some larvae develop into larger (3/4 inch long) winged male and female ants, called reproductives. Males have much smaller heads than do females and both have long smoky black wings.
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 ...
Amoimyrmex striatus is a species of leafcutter ant found in the Neotropics. [2]It is a member of the subfamily Myrmicinae, and within the tribe Attini.As an attine, A. striatus forages for vegetation that will be applied to the fungal garden, typical in all leaf-cutting species. [3]
The ants actively cultivate their fungus on a medium of masticated leaf tissue. This is the sole food of the queen and other colony members that remain in the nest. The mediae also gain subsistence from plant sap they ingest whilst physically cutting out sections of leaf from a variety of plants.
Acromyrmex versicolor is known as the desert leafcutter ant. A. versicolor is found during the summer months in the Colorado and Sonoran deserts when there is precipitation. They form large, distinctive nest craters that are covered with leaf fragments. Living and dead leaves are collected by workers and used to cultivate fungus gardens. [2]
New research shows that ants have been farming fungi for 66 million years — thanks in part to the asteroid that fueled the demise of the dinosaurs. When a massive asteroid wiped out the ...