Atta texana. Ants slice through leaves using a repeated scissoring motion, where the leading mandible (on the right) is anchored into the leaf and pulls the trailing mandible to make the cut. 

Austin, Texas, USA
Atta texana

Austin, Texas, USA
A Texas Leafcutter Ant (Atta texana) carries a cut leaf.  Ants do not eat the leaves directly; rather, they use to leaves to feed an underground fungus that serves as the ants' primary food source.

Austin, Texas, USA
A queen leafcutter ant (Atta texana) dwarfs her daughter workers.

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

Captive colony at the University of Texas
A large Atta sexdens worker cuts through a leaf while a smaller worker guards against the overzealous photographer. 

Captive colony at the University of Texas
The busy nest entrance of Atta colombica, a forest-dwelling leafcutter ant.

Gamboa, Panama
Atta colombica fungus garden.

Captive colony at the University of Texas
Atta cephalotes

Gamboa, Panama
A Texas Leafcutter Ant (Atta texana) carries a cut leaf. Ants do not eat the leaves directly; rather, they use to leaves to feed an underground fungus that serves as the ants' primary food source.

Austin, Texas, USA
A Texas Leafcutter Ant (Atta texana) carries a cut leaf.  Ants do not eat the leaves directly; rather, they use to leaves to feed an underground fungus that serves as the ants' primary food source.

Austin, Texas, USA
A Texas Leafcutter Ant (Atta texana) carries a cut leaf. Ants do not eat the leaves directly; rather, they use to leaves to feed an underground fungus that serves as the ants' primary food source.

Austin, Texas, USA
See photo in original gallery.
all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013