Leafcutter Ants

Project Noah Nature Class Video to learn all about Leafcutter Ants!

Video Script: Here we have a trail of leafcutter ants cutting across the rainforests of Belize! Leafcutter Ants are not a single species, but instead represent up to 47 species across two genera! They have a geographic range that includes Mexico, Central America, South America and the southwestern United States. Preferred habitat includes rainforest, deciduous forests, scrub forests and open woodlands. As their name suggests, these ants cut out pieces of leaves and other vegetation. Once they have chewed off pieces, they then transport them into their underground nests. It certainly helps that each ant can hold 20 times its body weight in vegetation! Once moved to the nest, these ants then cultivate a fungus that grows on the chewed leaves. Leafcutter ants produce special enzymes and amino acids to help the fungus grow. This fungus is fed to ant larvae, aiding in the stewardship of the colony’s next generation. So yes, leafcutter ants are farmers! And their primary crop is fungus. They are one of the few animals besides people that use agriculture to cultivate their own food! Among the 47 species of leafcutter ants, different species may cultivate different fungi. These underground fungal gardens aerate and enrich the soil – and the activities of these colonies within their nests helps to stimulate the root growth of certain plant species. Colonies divide up tasks based on each ant’s size– with larger ants typically cutting plants into smaller fragments and smaller ants helping tend to the fungal gardens. Leafcutter ants form complex and fascinating social societies – through teamwork and a lot of communication, these colonies grow and prosper across tropical rainforests of the Americas.