A queen leafcutter ant (Atta texana) dwarfs her daughter workers. Captive colony at the University of Texas - Alex Wild Photography - Insect Photography

Farming Ants: Leafcutters and Fungus Growers

Hundreds of ant species live as farmers in the warmer regions of North and South America. These insects- a single evolutionary radiation- cultivate an edible fungus fed with bits of vegetative debris, or in the case of the leafcutter ants, with live vegetation.