Leafcutter ants are fungus-farming ants of the Americas. Their long lines of workers carrying leaf pieces are a familiar sight in tropical forests, and their colonies are among the most complex societies in the animal world.
Interesting facts
- A single colony can contain several million ants.
- Workers come in many sizes, from tiny gardeners to large soldiers.
- The smallest workers ride on leaf fragments to guard carriers from parasitic flies.
- Ants carry bacteria on their bodies that produce antibiotics to protect the fungus from disease.
- Their underground nests can cover hundreds of square metres and move tonnes of soil.
- Leafcutter ants are among the most important plant-eaters in Neotropical forests.
Behaviour
Workers cut leaf fragments with their jaws and carry them back along cleared trails to the nest, where smaller workers chew them into a paste to feed the fungus. Waste is carried to special chambers or dumps.
Breeding and young
On nuptial flights, winged queens and males mate. Each new queen carries a piece of fungus from her birth colony to start her own garden, then lays eggs that become the first workers.
Threats and conservation
Leafcutter ants are not threatened. They are controlled with pesticides in some farming areas.
Where to see it
- Rainforest trails in Costa Rica and Panama
- Amazon lodges in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil
- Pantanal, Brazil
- Texas, USA (the Texas leafcutter ant)
Status source: IUCN Red List. Profile last reviewed September 2026.
