Leafcutter Ant
Leafcutter ants live on the forest floor and build an underground web of “rooms” where they grow their main food, a type of fungus.
Leafcutter ants travel in long lines far into the forest in search of leaves. They leave a scent along the trail so they can find their way home. They use their sharp jaws to cut the leaves from plants then carry these large pieces of leaves on their backs. They can carry almost 10 times their own weight. When they get the leaf back to their underground nest, they chew it into a pulp. The pulp is stored with fungus spores and ant feces and eventually fungus starts to grow. This is what the ants eat - not the leaves. Ants, like all insects have jointed legs, 3 body parts, a pair of antennae and a hard exoskeleton. The exoskeleton is similar to human fingernails. The ants can be orange, brown, red or black. Want to Learn More?
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