Leaf Cutter Ants - Five Sisters Zoo

A brown-bodied ant, there are over 40 species of leaf cutter ants. They reside in underground colonies where the Queen ant can oversee anywhere from hundreds to a million worker ants. Leaf-cutters are unique in that they do not eat the leaves they harvest; instead, they bring the leaves underground and grow a fungus on top of them, which the ants then consume for food.

Facts

Diet: Herbivore; leaf fungus.

Weight:  <1g

Length: 22mm for Queens, other ants 2-14mm

Habitat: Central and South America; forest, rainforest and in some cultivated agricultural areas

Life Span: Queens can live for 10 years; highly variable for all others

Adapted to Survive

  • Ants will secrete a chemical trail when foraging to guide other ants to food sources
  • Queen ants can lay 30,000 eggs per day to keep the colony going
  • Leaf-cutter ants can lift 50x their own body weight

Threats

  • Habitat loss
  • Climate change

IUCN Conservation Status

Least Concern

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