Acromyrmex balzani

An Acromyrmex balzani worker carries a grass stem back to her nest. Leafcutter species tend to specialize on either broadleaf plants or grasses. Entre Rios, Argentina

Acromyrmex disciger

In a remnant of Brazil's once-great Atlantic coastal rainforest, an Acromyrmex disciger leafcutter ant carries a leaf back to her nest. The forest where these ants live has been 95% destroyed by human activities. Morretes, Paraná, Brazil

Acromyrmex sp.

Acromyrmex sp. nr. crassispinus cutting into an orange peel. Citrus is a favorite target for leafcutters, perhaps because the plants are not native to the Americas and have not yet evolved defenses against the voracious ants. Lagunas de Yala, Jujuy, Argentina

Acromyrmex striatus

Santiago del Estero, Argentina

Acromyrmex coronatus

Acromyrmex coronatus, cutting through a leaf. Panamá

Acromyrmex echinatior

Panama; Laboratory colony at the University of Wisconsin at Madison

Acanthognathus ocellatus

The short inner teeth on the mandibles of this Acanthognathus ocellatus worker are for performing the delicate tasks within the nest, as the expansive trap-jaws themselves are not well-suited for domestic work. Venezuela

Amblyopone australis

Yandoit, Victoria, Australia

Anoplolepis gracilipes

A yellow crazy ant forages on a tree trunk. Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

Aphaenogaster picea

South Bristol, New York, USA

Aphaenogaster longiceps

A nest maintenance worker carries soil excavated from deep within the nest. Diamond Creek, Victoria, Australia

Aphaenogaster mariae workers recruit to honey smeared across a tree trunk as bait. Urbana, Illinois, USA

Some plants have come to rely so heavily on ants to spread their seeds about that they offer the insects a tasty treat in exchange for the dispersal service. Seeds of these species bear a lipid-filled structure called an elaiosome, whose sole function appears to be the attraction of ants. Here, Aphaenogaster disperse bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) seeds. Urbana, Illinois, USA

An Apterostigma forager carries a bit of debris back to her nest. Carrancas, Minas Gerais, Brazil

A Texas Leafcutter Ant (Atta texana) carrying a leaf back to her nest, where it will be fodder for the fungus that sustains the ants. Austin, Texas, USA

Atta texana workers removing soil from an excavation deep in the nest. Austin, Texas, USA

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

Major and minor workers of Atta cephalotes demonstrating the size extremes among worker ants in a single leafcutter ant colony. Captive colony at the University of Illinois

Atta cephalotes. A small worker atop a leaf guards her sister against attacks by parasitic flies. Ants laden with cargo cannot use their mandibles for defense, so they carry hitchhikers to ward off the parasites. Gamboa, Panama

Azteca alfari Cecropia ants sharing a moment... Gamboa, Panama