Farming Ants: Leafcutters and Fungus Growers - # - Alex Wild Photography - Insect Photography - Insect Pictures

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.

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Inside the fungus garden of the asexual ant Mycocepurus smithii.

Panama

An Acromyrmex niger leafcutter ant worker makes a characteristically circular cut in a citrus leaf.

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Acromyrmex niger cutting a leaf.

Monte Verde, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Sericomyrmex amabilis. An ant worker tends to brood in the fungus garden. Note how the eggs and larvae are embedded within the fluffy white hyphae of the fungus.

Parque Soberania, Panama; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas

Sericomyrmex amabilis. A fungus-growing ant worker carefully tends to a larva. Note the other ant eggs and larvae that are embedded within the fluffy white hyphae of the fungus garden.

Parque Soberania, Panama; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas

Spires of cultivated fungus inside the nest of a Sericomyrmex amabilis ant colony.

Parque Soberania, Panama; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas

A Sericomyrmex amabilis worker in the fungus garden.

Parque Soberania, Panama; Laboratory colony at the University of Texas

A Trachymyrmex septentrionalis male ascends a leaf to embark on an afternoon mating flight in the Florida sand scrub.

Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USA

Inside the fungus garden of the asexual ant Mycocepurus smithii.

Panama

Inside the fungus garden of the asexual ant Mycocepurus smithii.

Panama

Inside the fungus garden of the asexual ant Mycocepurus smithii.

Panama

Canon EOS 20D |

More details: exif |

Original size: 2624x1876 |

Current: 800x572 |

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Keywords: fungus females insects agriculture formicidae mutualism myrmicinae attini eusocial asexual social insects mycocepurus parthenogenetic parthenogenesis sexless asexual ants fungus garden mycocepurus smithii

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all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013

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