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Hairy-headed Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes)
This individual is a soldier ant whose task it is to protect a constant stream of foraging workers as they carry leaf material back to the nest.
It would appear logical to think they eat the leaves,when in fact, they are unable to do so.
Discover what happens to all those leaves by watching this video and reading the accompanying commentary, which includes for me, THE most remarkable fact ever about ants!
Now there's something to live up to!
"Atta cephalotes" is one of 41 species of leafcutter ant. This species is part of the Attini tribe. A single colony of ants can contain up to 5 million members, and each colony has one queen that can live more than 15 years. The colony comprises different castes, known as ‘task partitioning’, and each caste has a different job to do.
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For example, they position the fungi gardens at precise angles, positions and direction so that just the right amount of air passes through to provide enough oxygen and maintain a stable temperature, but not too much to reduce the high humidity levels the fungus needs for optimal growth. Not only that but they design asystem of tunnels that act as air conditioning to prevent a build up of gasses, which would kill both the fungus and the ants if allowed to accumulate.
Posted 6 months ago