Acromyrmex
is the more diverse of the two leafcutting ant genera (the other is Atta). These distinctive spiny insects cut fresh vegetation to feed to a specialized fungus that grows only in ant nests. The fungus serves as the ants' food source and in return is cultivated and dispersed by the ants. Like all fungus-growing ants, Acromyrmex is found only in the new world tropics and subtropics.
Young fungus-growing ant queens such as this Acromyrmex versicolorleave the established fungus gardens of their parent colonies to start new nests. These queens carry with them a pellet of fungal inoculum in a small pouch in their mouthparts, and upon excavating a new nest they expel and fertilize the pellet, shown here with two freshly-laid ant eggs.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
Young fungus-growing ant queens such as this Acromyrmex versicolorleave the established fungus gardens of their parent colonies to start new nests. These queens carry with them a pellet of fungal inoculum in a small pouch in their mouthparts, and upon excavating a new nest they expel and fertilize the pellet, shown here with two freshly-laid ant eggs.
Tucson, Arizona, USA
Canon EOS 20D |
Original size: 3420x2276 |
Current: 800x533 |
