Ant Atta or leaf cutter - a professional gardener with superpowers
One of the unusual varieties of ants is the leaf cutter ant or Atta ant. The powerful jaws of the insect allow you to cut leaves from the trees with which they feed the fungus. This is the dominant and highly organized group of insects, which has a number of features.
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What does a leaf cutter ant look like?
Description of the leaf-cutting ant or Atta
Name: Leaf cutter or umbrella ants, Atta
Latin: Leaf-cutting Ants, Parasol AntsClass: Insects - Insecta
Squad: Hymenoptera - Hymenoptera
Family: Ants - Formicidae
 | Habitats: | North and South America |
 | Dangerous for: | feeds on the leaves of various plants |
 | Means of destruction: | does not need adjustment |
The color of the insect varies from orange to red-brown. A distinctive feature is the presence of yellowish hairs in the front of the head. The size of the uterus varies from 3 to 3,5 cm. However, not all individuals are so large. The size of the smallest individuals is about 5 mm, and the largest ones are up to 1,5 cm. The body length of soldiers and workers is up to 2 cm.
The anthill is dominated by monogyny. There can be only one oviparous queen per colony. Even 2 queens are not able to get along with each other.
Ants have long limbs that allow them to move quickly and cut leaves. Strong individuals cut the stems and veins, and small ones clean the leaves and moisten them with saliva.
Leaf cutter ant habitat
Insects live in the tropics. They inhabit the southern regions of North America and all of South America. The diameter of anthills is about 10 m, and the depth is from 6 to 7 m. The number of individuals can reach 8 million in one anthill.
Leaf cutter ant diet
The entire colony feeds on the fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus. The leaves are subjected to careful mechanical and chemical processing. Workers crush the leaves by cutting them and grinding them into a pulp.
Leaf-cutting ants prefer leaves and fruits of blueberries, raspberries, elderberries, boxwoods, roses, oaks, lindens, wild grapes, oranges, and bananas.
Teleportation of queen ant Atta
Queens of this species have a unique ability to teleport. Scientists built a strong chamber for the queen and made a mark on the queen. Surprisingly, the uterus is able to disappear from a closed chamber in a few minutes. It can be found in another chamber of the anthill. No one knows how she managed to get out of a very strong cell.
This phenomenon was described by a cryptozoologist named Ivan Sanderson. Most ant myrmecologists cast great doubt on this theory.
Conditions for keeping leaf cutter ants
The humidity level in the living chamber of the formicarium should be from 50% to 80%, in the arena from 40% to 70%. The lowest humidity is allowed in the garbage chambers. Usually 30% to 40%. The temperature regime of formicaria is from 24 to 28 degrees Celsius. A minimum limit of 21 degrees is allowed in the arena.
The arena, the nesting chamber, the garbage chamber are connected by passages. The length of each passage reaches 2 m. The ant farm can be acrylic, plaster, glass, earthen. The optimal conditions for breeding insects include:
- large dimensions of the formicarium;
- good ventilation;
- an extensive system of moves;
- spacious arena;
- the use of coarse and fine sand, black soil, stones.
Conclusion
Leaf cutters or Atta are distinguished by the construction of the largest anthills. Queens have a unique ability to teleport. However, the Atta ant needs special care. The right content can be provided by people with extensive experience.
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