Which ant species is known for cultivating fungus gardens as a food source?

The ant known for cultivating fungus gardens as a food source is the leafcutter ant. Leafcutter ants cut pieces of leaves and carry them underground, where the plant material feeds a cultivated fungus.

The ants do not generally eat the leaves themselves. Instead, their colony maintains the fungal garden, removes contaminated material, and harvests specialized nutritious structures produced by the fungus. Adult ants mainly consume plant sap, while the cultivated fungus is especially important for feeding larvae.

Leafcutter ants are part of the fungus-growing ant lineage found in the Americas. Their colonies have elaborate labor systems: some workers cut vegetation, others transport it, tend the garden, remove waste, or defend the nest. The ants also maintain relationships with bacteria that produce antimicrobial compounds protecting the garden from harmful microbes.

A common mix-up is assuming that every ant carrying a leaf is eating that leaf. The leaf is agricultural raw material. The colony's true food crop is the fungus, making leafcutter ants one of the clearest examples of insect farming. Fire ants, carpenter ants, and army ants do not characteristically cultivate fungal gardens in this way.