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Leafcutter Ants

October 4, 2013 by redspiralhand


Leafcutter Ants, Up Close and Personal

– story and photos by Jane Moore of Papagayo Luxury –

Ever since moving to Costa Rica, we have been fascinated by the energetic and highly amusing antics of the leafcutter ants. Whenever we see their telltale path, we have to stop and see what they are transporting.  Leaves? Flowers?  Stalks? Many times there are what we call the “lazy ants” that are hitching a ride on the leaf while some poor worker ant hauls both leaf and hitchhiker back to the nest.

I recently found some willing models for a photo shoot, so you can see some of the details of their destruction, up close and personal.  It is fun and fascinating to watch.  They can decimate and defrock a plant within hours!  While at Peninsula Papagayo, you will see the larger animals like monkeys and coatamundi, but don’t forget to look closely at the details around you!

Enjoy the photos! And there is more information about the purpose of the leaves at the end.

Making short work of his designated leaf section.

 

Little ant… is he a help? Or a hindrance?

 

Wow! Check out those mandibles! What an effective tool on this leaf!

 

Almost completely severed, the leafcutter now has to make sure that his leaf cutting doesn’t drop to the ground!

 

Success! The ant maneuvers his leaf cutting around to start the trek down the plant and back to the nest.

 

En route to the nest. And then repeat.

Leafcutter ants travel in long lines far into the forest, in search of leaves. They use their sharp jaws to cut leaves, stalks, and flowers from plants, and then carry the large pieces of leaves back to the nest (and can carry up to 10x their weight!). At their large underground nests, the leaves are chewed into a pulp. The decaying pulp is stored with ant feces and fungus spores, and strands of fungus eventually grow on the decomposing pulp. The ants do not eat the leaves. Rather, the ants eat the fungus crop that they meticulously cultivate.

 Have a wonderful time looking for the big and the small creatures at Peninsula Papagayo!  And if you see their trail, please walk around or over their path!

Filed Under: Nature, Uncategorized Tagged With: Costa Rica, Costa Rica vacation, insects Costa Rica, leafcutter ants, nature, Peninsula Papagayo, wildlife Costa Rica

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