Leaf Cutter Ants

Leaf Cutter Ants Description

Perhaps the most famous rainforest ants, leafcutters began farming long before humans. They provide food for the colony by farming a fungus inside their nest. The fungus grows on finely chewed leaves that the ants tirelessly provide.

Leaf Cutter Ant Workers

The caste system of the leaf cutters is a bit like a Russian doll scenario. First, the largest ants are the guards. Thes are fierce protectors of the workers and have muscle full heads that power massive jaws. Researchers excavating nests stop work frequently to control the blood flowing down their arms. To put it into perspective, the guards are even known to cut through leather. Next down are the largest worker ants who cut the leaves and carry them to the nest. When inside they give the leaves to smaller porter ants, which chew the pieces up for the fungus. But it doesnt stop there, as there are also ants smaller than the porters. These roam the fungus gardens thinning out dense fungus areas, replanting it on new mulch surfaces. And smaller still, no bigger than a pinhead, are the ants that pull out individual strands of fungus to feed their larger sisters.