Leafcutter Ant
The leafcutter ant (Atta cephalotes) practises one of the oldest forms of agriculture: it cuts leaves to cultivate fungus gardens as its sole food source. Colonies of up to 8 million individuals are among the most complex insect societies.
biology.insects
Metrics
Scientific Name
Linnaeus, 1758. Family Formicidae, tribe Attini.
Body Length (caste-dependent)
Mass (worker)
Queen approx. 1–1.5 g. Workers carry 5–50 times their body weight.
Lifespan
Workers live weeks to a few months.
Relations
Like the honeybee, the leafcutter ant is a superorganism with complex division of labour.
Factor: 100 × (Koloniegröße) · Direction: A_gt_B
Explanations
Leaf-cutter ants (Atta cephalotes) practice one of the oldest forms of agriculture: they cut leaves and cultivate fungi on them to feed their entire colony. A single queen can live 15–20 years, while a colony typically lasts about 8 years and can contain up to 8 million workers. Their underground nests reach depths of up to 9 meters and demonstrate remarkably complex organization.
Sources
Umfassende Artbeschreibung mit Größen-, Lebensdauer- und Verhaltensdaten.
Taxonomie und Verbreitung.
Related Cards
Provenance
Status
seed
Review
none
Last Updated
2026-02-17