World_of_Animals_Issue_46_2017

Leaf-cutter ants
Through their leaf
cutting, they trim and
maintain the rainforest, allowing
light to reach the forest floor and more plants to
grow. They also have a strong influence on the species
that grow here by selectively bringing seeds into their
underground chambers of various depths, helping the
rainforest floor to flourish.
Like termites and ambrosia beetles, leaf-cutter ant
societies are based on a mutualistic relationship between
the ants and the fungus they cultivate and feed on.
Different species of leaf-cutter ants feed on different
species of fungi; however, all of the fungi they eat is from
the genus Leucocoprinus. As the growth of the fungus is
so crucial to their survival, the ants have adapted to react
to the chemical signals the fungus emits and will stop
collecting certain plant species that are deemed to be
toxic. As such, they rely on each other to stay alive; the
ants grow the fungus to feed their colony and the fungus
relies on the ants bringing fresh foliage underground to
sustain its growth.
However, due to the vast amount of leaves the ants
need to sustain a colony of millions, these tiny critters are
often seen as a major agricultural pest. This is because a
single colony can strip a tree bare in just 24 hours and leafcutter
ants are responsible for destroying more vegetation
than any other animal, costing the crop industry over $1
billion (£803.9 million) each year. But they are a crucial
and influential part of the ecosystem and are often very
selective about the leaves they cut to ensure the survival
of the plants they so heavily rely on. It is because of this
that these ants, while small in size but prolific in number,
should be seen not as pests, but as intelligent and skilled
farmers who have a close and intimate relationship with
the habitat they live in. Carefully cutting plants, farming
fungi and growing their colossal colonies, leaf-cutter ants
display the ultimate form of teamwork, making them the
best sustainable farmers in the insect world.
The vice-like jaws
of a leaf-cutter ant vibrate
1,000 times per second, allowing
them to easily cut leaves. In fact,
large worker ants can even cut
through leather with their
mandibles.
Below Although not native to the
region, leaf-cutter ant populations
have been found in southern US
states and Mexico
Once the male leafcutter
ants have mated
with the fertile females
in their nuptial
flight, they will
die, leaving
the female to
establish the
colony.
Leaf-cutter ants are
aggressively territorial
insects, willing to fight to the
death to defend their colony.
Although they don’t seek out a
battle, even members of the same
species will be killed if they stray
into a colony that is not
their own.
© Alamy; Amazon-Images; Alex Hyde/NaturePL/Thinkstock
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