# Atta (ant)

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***Atta*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of [ants](/source/Ant) found in South, Central, and southern [North America](/source/North_America) (including the Caribbean). They belong to the [subfamily](/source/Subfamily) [Myrmicinae](/source/Myrmicinae). *Atta* are commonly referred to as [leafcutter ants](/source/Leafcutter_ants), although that name is shared with members of the genus *[Acromyrmex](/source/Acromyrmex)*.[1]

*Atta* are notable for their feeding habits. Worker ants gather plant material from around their [colony](/source/Ant_colony) and carry it into the colony's underground chambers. The organic material feeds symbiotic [fungi](/source/Fungi) growing inside of the colony, which the ants consume. *Atta* do not sting,[2] but they are known to be strong biters.

## Life cycle

As with all ants, *Atta* species undergo [complete metamorphosis](/source/Complete_metamorphosis). They emerge from their eggs as a [larva](/source/Larva), which grows until it forms a [pupa](/source/Pupa). Finally, the adult form emerges from the pupa.

## Castes

Adult *Atta* ants are divided into different [castes](/source/Eusociality) with distinct appearances and duties.

### Workers

Most ants in an *Atta* colony belong to the worker caste. Workers are wingless females who cannot [sexually reproduce](/source/Sexually_reproduce). They gather food, excavate the nest, and care for the queen and brood. Mature colonies of *Atta* ants can consist of millions of workers.[3]

Physically distinct forms have also been recognized within the worker and larva castes. A study of *[Atta sexdens](/source/Atta_sexdens)* found that among larvae there are two distinct forms: gardeners/nurses and within-nest generalists.[4]

### Soldiers

The soldier caste is responsible for the colony's defense. Like workers, soldiers are wingless and sexless. While some recognize soldiers as a distinct class, they are often considered a sub-caste of workers. Soldiers appear among lines of workers carrying their leaf fragments. They are recognizable by their conspicuously larger size, more formidable spines, and very large heads. These large heads house the muscles used for closing their powerful pincer-like [mandibles](/source/Mandibles) on enemies.[5] Soldiers should not be confused with [army ants](/source/Army_ants).

### Drones

Drones are winged males which are larger than workers and soldiers. They are the only male ants who inhabit the colony, and their sole purpose is to mate with a queen during her [nuptial flight](/source/Nuptial_flight) or at another time. Drones are fed by workers and do little or no work in the nest. Drones have a lifespan of only 1–2 weeks, much shorter than the queen's lifespan of up to 15 years and workers' lifespan of about 7 years. This is because drones are no longer needed after they mate with the queen.[6]

### Queens

The queen plays a major role in both creating new colonies and maintaining the population in established ones. When a queen is ready to mate, she leaves her colony of origin and flies into the air with many drones following her. One or more may mate with her, depending on the species and circumstances. Once the queen has mated, she finds somewhere to begin digging a nest. Inside her nest, she lays a few eggs. These will hatch into workers who will expand the nest. From there, she will continue to spawn workers and other queens. A typical queen lays more than 25,000 eggs per day and 150 million eggs over her lifetime.[7]

## Fungus cultivation

*Atta* workers carry fresh plant material into their subterranean nests, where a specialized species of fungus, *[Leucocoprinus gongylophorus](/source/Leucocoprinus_gongylophorus)*, grows on the plant material they bring. All the ants feed on this fungus.[7] Larvae, pupae, and adults feed on liquids produced in the [gongylidia](/source/Gongylidia), the bulbous tip structures of the fungus. The ants are completely dependent on the fungus and provide for all of its needs. Both gain from this [mutualist](/source/Mutualism_(biology)) relationship.

Before leaving their parent colonies, *Atta* queens store a small amount of fungus from their home colony in their infrabuccal or [fungus pockets](/source/Fungus_pocket), a depression below the head. This fungus stays with the queen during her nuptial flight and while mating. After she loses her wings and digs a hole to begin her future colony, the queen uses the fungus she has brought with her to "seed" her underground space, fertilizing the fungus with her [fecal matter](/source/Fecal_matter). While waiting for the fungus to grow, she survives by burning body fat reserves, eating 90% of the eggs she lays, and using nutrients from the degeneration of her now unneeded wing muscles.[8]

Workers also acquire water and nutrients from plant sap they ingest as they cut plant leaves.[9]

## Behaviour

Worker ants often harvest leaf parts well away from their nest, despite the same plant species growing closer to their nest. It is also observed that a nest's workers may harvest leaf sections from a certain species for some time, then switch to another species. Studies suggest that many factors explain these behaviours, such as the ant's potential inability to see where the plants are.[citation needed]

Certain workers climb onto cut sections of [leaf](/source/Leaf) and ride the leaf back to the nest as another worker carries the leaf and its passenger. Such leaf riders protect the other workers from a particular species of [phorid](/source/Phoridae) fly that [parasitises](/source/Parasitism) the leaf-carriers. While hitchhiking, the ants riding the leaf also work to decontaminate the leaf fragment before it arrives at the nest.[10] Ant communities that exhibit this complex [division of labour](/source/Division_of_labour) among highly specialized forms are often regarded as [superorganisms](/source/Superorganism).

*Atta* ants avoid plant material containing [chemical compounds](/source/Chemical_compounds) which are [fungicidal](/source/Fungicidal) (dangerous for the fungus), repellent, and/or [toxic](/source/Toxic).[11]

If *Atta* ants become trapped in a collapsed tunnel, they make a tapping sound, and other ants will rescue them.[12]

## Predators

*[Nomamyrmex esenbeckii](/source/Nomamyrmex_esenbeckii)* is an army ant species known to prey on *Atta* colonies.[13] Birds, bats, and ground mammals feed on *Atta* queens searching for a nest site after mating.[7]

[Armadillos](/source/Armadillos) are well adapted to feed on all ant species. [Nine-banded armadillos](/source/Nine-banded_armadillos) often feed on [Texas leafcutter ants](/source/Texas_leafcutter_ant).[14]

## Evolution

The leafcutter ant genera *Atta* and *[Acromyrmex](/source/Acromyrmex)* split from a common ancestor about 10 million years ago (Mya). The *[Trachymyrmex](/source/Trachymyrmex)* group and *[Sericomyrmex](/source/Sericomyrmex)* are the closest relatives to the leafcutters; they split off about 17 Mya.[8]

Beginning around 50 Mya, the evolutionary history of various leafcutter ant [taxa](/source/Taxon) has been strongly affected by ants [coevolving](/source/Coevolution) with their fungus.[15] During this coevolution, the fungus lost its ability to produce spores, and the ants made it their main food source. Leafcutter ants are thought to have propagated the same fungal lineage for 25 million years, during which time the ants took over the fungus's reproduction process.[15]

## Ecological effects

*Atta* ants are often considered [ecosystem](/source/Ecosystem) engineers, meaning that they create and modify [habitats](/source/Habitats). They transfer [organic matter](/source/Organic_matter) underground, enhance [soil aeration](/source/Soil_aeration), and increase [soil nutrient](/source/Plant_nutrients_in_soil) availability and [nitrogen fixation](/source/Nitrogen_fixation) rates.[16]

A study found that emissions of [carbon dioxide](/source/Carbon_dioxide), or , over soil in which *Atta* nests were present were 15–60% more than over nearby soil with no *Atta* nests. At an ecosystem scale, this amounted to *Atta* nests adding 0.2 to 0.7% more to the atmosphere.[16] The emitted was produced by the large amounts of decomposing plant material stored in the *Atta*'s underground nests.[16]

As human behavior and climate change increasingly fragment the tropical and subtropical parts of the [Americas](/source/Americas), *Atta* ants are becoming more abundant[17] and their impact on [soil carbon](/source/Soil_carbon) dynamics is expected to increase.

*Atta* ants can also create [gaps](/source/Treefall_gap) in forests with an otherwise closed or unbroken [canopy](/source/Canopy_(biology)) by trimming the leaves of plants in the [understory](/source/Understory); this allows more light to hit the [forest floor](/source/Forest_floor). They can also alter the types of trees and other plants in their area by selectively bringing seeds into the underground chambers. If the chambers are not too deep, such seeds can send shoots upward, which reach light and grow into established plants.[18]

## Interaction with humans

### Defoliation of desired plants

Many people consider *Atta* ants to be major [pests](/source/Pest_(organism)).[19][20] They can completely defoliate a wide range of ornamental, garden, and agricultural plants. Because *Atta* ants only eat the fungus they cultivate, they may not be as affected as other ants by common [insecticides](/source/Insecticides).[21]

### As food

*Atta* drones are a popular ingredient in [Mexican cuisine](/source/Mexican_cuisine), particularly in southern states such as [Chiapas](/source/Chiapas), [Guerrero](/source/Guerrero), [Hidalgo](/source/Hidalgo_(state)), [Puebla](/source/Puebla), [Veracruz](/source/Veracruz), and [Oaxaca](/source/Oaxaca).[22] They are considered a delicacy and are high in protein, so they are often served as a main dish. They may be eaten as the sole filling in [tacos](/source/Tacos). A fan of *chicatana* dishes in Mexico describes them as "smoky and earthy, with a crunchy texture -- *ahumado y terroso, con textura crujiente*".[23]

In [Brazil](/source/Brazil), the flying adults of *Atta* ants (locally known as *tanajuras*) are highly appreciated as delicacies in several regions.[24] The techniques involving their capture and cooking are considered a part of the [cultural heritage](/source/Cultural_heritage) of people of the [Tianguá](/source/Tiangu%C3%A1) municipality in [Ceará](/source/Cear%C3%A1).

The native [Guanes](/source/Guanes) people of central [Colombia](/source/Colombia) first began cultivating and cooking the insects in the 7th century. They also used the ants' sharp pincers as stitches. The marauding Spanish [conquistadors](/source/Conquistadors) later adopted the habit.[citation needed]

### Popular culture

Princess Atta from *[A Bug's Life](/source/A_Bug's_Life)* was named after the leafcutter genus *Atta*.[25] In the novel *[Atta](/source/Atta_(novel))*, a man is shrunk by a bolt of lightning and befriends an ant named Atta.[26]

## Species

- *[Atta bisphaerica](/source/Atta_bisphaerica)* (Forel, 1908) - southeastern [Brazil](/source/Brazil)
- *[Atta capiguara](/source/Atta_capiguara)* (Gonçalves, 1944) - [São Paulo (state)](/source/S%C3%A3o_Paulo_(state)), [Brazil](/source/Brazil)
- *[Atta cephalotes](/source/Atta_cephalotes)* (*Hairy-headed leafcutter ant*) ([Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus), [1758](/source/10th_edition_of_Systema_Naturae)) - central [Mexico](/source/Mexico) to central [Brazil](/source/Brazil)
- *[Atta colombica](/source/Atta_colombica)* ([Guérin-Méneville](/source/F%C3%A9lix_%C3%89douard_Gu%C3%A9rin-M%C3%A9neville), 1844) - [Costa Rica](/source/Costa_Rica), [Panama](/source/Panama) and [Colombia](/source/Colombia)
- *[Atta cubana](/source/Atta_cubana)* (Fontenla Rizo, 1995) - [Cuba](/source/Cuba)
- *[Atta goiana](/source/Atta_goiana)* (Gonçalves, 1942) - [Brazil](/source/Brazil) ([Cerrado](/source/Cerrado))
- *[Atta insularis](/source/Atta_insularis)* (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) - [Cuba](/source/Cuba)
- *[Atta laevigata](/source/Atta_laevigata)* ([F. Smith](/source/Frederick_Smith_(entomologist)), 1858) - [Colombia](/source/Colombia) to [Paraguay](/source/Paraguay)
- *[Atta mexicana](/source/Atta_mexicana)* (Smith, 1858) - [Arizona](/source/Arizona) and [Texas](/source/Texas) (United States) to the southern [Honduras](/source/Honduras)
- *[Atta opaciceps](/source/Atta_opaciceps)* (Borgmeier, 1939) - [Brazil](/source/Brazil) ([Caatinga](/source/Caatinga))
- *[Atta pilosa](/source/Atta_pilosa)* (Buckley, 1866) - [Texas](/source/Texas) (United States)
- *[Atta robusta](/source/Atta_robusta)* (Borgmeier, 1939) - coastal southeastern [Brazil](/source/Brazil)
- *[Atta saltensis](/source/Atta_saltensis)* (Forel, 1913) - southeastern [Bolivia](/source/Bolivia), northwestern [Paraguay](/source/Paraguay) and northern [Argentina](/source/Argentina)
- *[Atta sexdens](/source/Atta_sexdens)* (Linnaeus, 1758) - [Panama](/source/Panama) to northeastern [Argentina](/source/Argentina)
- *[Atta tardigrada](/source/Atta_tardigrada)* (Buckley, 1866) - [Texas](/source/Texas) (United States)
- *[Atta texana](/source/Texas_leafcutter_ant)* (*Texas leafcutter ant*) ([Buckley](/source/Samuel_Botsford_Buckley), 1860) - eastern [Texas](/source/Texas) and western [Louisiana](/source/Louisiana) (United States) and northeastern [Mexico](/source/Mexico)
- *[Atta vollenweideri](/source/Atta_vollenweideri)* (*Chaco leafcutter ant*) ([Forel](/source/Auguste_Forel), 1893) - [Gran Chaco](/source/Gran_Chaco)

## See also

- [List of leafcutter ants](/source/List_of_leafcutter_ants)

## References

1. Wetterer, James K. (January 1, 1999), ["The Ecology and Evolution of Worker Size-Distribution in Leaf-Cutting Ants (Hyenoptera: Formicidae)"](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236628888), *Sociobiology*. **34**: 119–144

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1. Wirth, Rainer; Beyschlag, Wolfram; Ryel, Ronald J.; Holldobler, Bert (September 1, 1997), "Annual foraging of the leaf-cutting ant *Atta colombica* in a semideciduous rain forest in Panama", *Journal of Tropical Ecology*. **13** (5): 741–757, [doi:10.1017/S0266467400010907](https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467400010907)

1. Solis, Daniel Russ; Fox, Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson; Ceccato, Marcela; Reiss, Itamar Cristina; Décio, Pâmela; Lorenzon, Natalia; Da Silva, Natiele Gonçalves; Bueno, Odair Correa (August 2012). "On the morphology of the worker immatures of the leafcutter ant *Atta sexdens* linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)". *Microscopy Research and Technique*. **75** (8): 1059–1065. [doi:10.1002/jemt.22031](https://doi.org/10.1002/jemt.22031). [PMID 22419653](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22419653). [S2CID 19394912](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:19394912)

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1. ["Animals with the shortest lifespans"](https://www.ifaw.org/journal/animals-shortest-lifespans). *ifaw.org*. [International Fund for Animal Welfare](/source/International_Fund_for_Animal_Welfare). April 11, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2025.

1. ["Leafcutter Ant (*Atta cephalotes*) Fact Sheet: Summary"](https://ielc.libguides.com/sdzg/factsheets/leafcutter-ant). *ielc.libguides.com*. International Environment Library Consortium. 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2025.

1. *The Leafcutter Ants*. Bert Holldobler. Edward O. Wilson. 2011. pp. 26, 39, 42.

1. Littledyke, M. & J. M. Cherrett (1976). "Direct ingestion of plant sap from cut leaves by leafcutting ants *Atta cephalotes* (L.) and *Acromyrmex octospinosus*". *Bulletin of Entomological Research*. **66** (2): 205–217. [doi:10.1017/s0007485300006647](https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007485300006647)

1. Vieira-Neto, E. H. M.; F. M. Mundim; H. L. Vasconcelos (2006). "Hitchhiking behaviour in leafcutter ants: An experimental evaluation of three hypotheses". *Insectes Sociaux*. **53** (3): 326–332. [doi:10.1007/s00040-006-0876-7](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-006-0876-7). [S2CID 40707063](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:40707063)

1. Rockwood, L.L. & Hubbell, S.P. (November 1987), ["Host-Plant Selection, Diet Diversity, and Optimal Foraging in a Tropical Leafcutting Ant"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/4218430), *Oecologia*. **74** (1): 55–61, [Bibcode:1987Oecol..74...55R](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1987Oecol..74...55R). [doi:10.1007/BF00377345](https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377345). [JSTOR 4218430](https://www.jstor.org/stable/4218430). [PMID 28310414](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28310414)

1. Sandved and Emsley, op. cit. p. 137.

1. Powell, S. & Clark, E. (November 2004). ["Combat between large derived societies: A subterranean army ant established as a predator of mature leaf-cutting ant colonies"](http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00040-004-0752-2). *Insectes Sociaux*. **51** (4): 342–351. [doi:10.1007/s00040-004-0752-2](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-004-0752-2). [ISSN 0020-1812](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0020-1812)

1. ["Leafcutter Ant"](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Atta_texana/). *rainforest-alliance.org*. Rainforest Alliance. Retrieved 8 June 2025.

1. Hoyt, Erich. 1996. *The Earth Dwellers*. Simon & Schuster. New York.

1. Fernandez-Bou, A.S.; Dierick, D.; Swanson, A.C.; Allen, M.F.; Alvarado, A.G.F.; Artavia-León, A.; Carrasquillo-Quintana, O.; Lachman, D.A.; Oberbauer, S.; into-Tomás, A.A.; Rodríguez-Reyes, Y.; Rundel, P.; Schwendenmann, L.; Zelikova, T.J.; Harmon, T.C. (13 February 2019). ["The Role of the Ecosystem Engineer, the Leaf-Cutter Ant *Atta cephalotes*, on Soil CO2 Dynamics in a Wet Tropical Rainforest"](https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2018JG004723). *Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences*. **124** (2): 260–273. American Geophysical Union. [Bibcode:2019JGRG..124..260F](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019JGRG..124..260F). [doi:10.1029/2018JG004723](https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JG004723). Retrieved June 8, 2025.

1. Palmeirim, Ana Filipa; Benchimol, Maíra; Leal, Inara R.; Peres, Carlos A. (May 24, 2021). ["Drivers of leafcutter ant populations and their inter-trophic relationships in Amazonian forest islands"](https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ecs2.3518#ecs23518-bib-0033). *Ecosphere*. **12** (5). Ecological Society of America with John Wiley & Sons. [Bibcode:2021Ecosp..12E3518P](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021Ecosp..12E3518P). [doi:10.1002/ecs2.3518](https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3518). Retrieved June 10, 2025.

1. Farji-Brener & Illes (May 2000). "Do leaf-cutting ant nests make "bottom-up" gaps in neotropical rain forests?: a critical review of the evidence". *Ecology Letters*. **3** (3): 219–227. [Bibcode:2000EcolL...3..219F](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2000EcolL...3..219F). [doi:10.1046/j.1461-0248.2000.00134.x](https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1461-0248.2000.00134.x). [ISSN 1461-023X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1461-023X)

1. ["Texas Leaf Cutting Ant, *Atta texana*"](http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/urban-pests/ants/leaf_cutting/). *Urban and Structural Entomology Program at [Texas A&M University](/source/Texas_A%26M_University)*. 2013-12-05. Retrieved 2022-01-19.

1. Della Lucia, Terezinha MC; Gandra, Lailla C; Guedes, Raul NC (2013-10-30). ["Managing leaf-cutting ants: peculiarities, trends and challenges"](http://www.locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/16076). *[Pest Management Science](/source/Pest_Management_Science)*. **70** (1): 14–23. [Society of Chemical Industry](/source/Society_of_Chemical_Industry) ([Wiley](/source/Wiley_Publishing)). [doi:10.1002/ps.3660](https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.3660). [ISSN 1526-498X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1526-498X). [PMID 24115496](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24115496)

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1. ["Chicatanas: A delicacy from Oaxaca"](https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/articulo/english/2017/08/8/chicatanas-delicacy-oaxacan-gastronomy) (in Spanish). *El Universal*. 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2020-04-15.

1. Castro, Sharon (June 28, 2024). ["*¡A comer! La temporada de lluvia trae el sabor exclusivo de chicatanas*"](https://oem.com.mx/elsoldehidalgo/local/a-comer-la-temporada-de-lluvia-trae-el-sabor-exclusivo-de-chicatanas-13565222). *oem.com.mx*. El Sol de Hidalgo. Retrieved June 9, 2025.

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1. Bellamy, Francis Rufus (1953). *Atta*. A. A. Wyn. ISBN 9780671776923.

## External links

- [BBC archive video of *Atta* Leaf-cutter ants](https://web.archive.org/web/20101106085436/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/genus/Atta_%28genus%29)
- [Bristol Zoo factsheet](https://web.archive.org/web/20100605115710/http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/leafcutter-ant)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Atta (ant)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atta_(ant)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atta_(ant)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.