The leafcutter ant is famous for cultivating fungus in underground gardens using collected leaves.
Leafcutter ants do not eat the leaves they carry. Workers cut pieces from vegetation and transport them to the nest, where the material is processed and used to grow a particular fungus. The colony feeds mainly on this cultivated fungus, making the ants one of the best-known examples of insect agriculture.
The name “leafcutter ant” covers ants in the genera Atta and Acromyrmex. Their colonies may contain millions of workers, with different workers performing jobs such as cutting, carrying, nest maintenance, gardening, and defense.
Leafcutter ants are important rainforest herbivores because their activity moves large quantities of plant material into the soil. They can also influence plant competition and nutrient cycling. Their farming system is ancient: fungus-growing ants have been cultivating fungi for tens of millions of years.