【10mm】Leafcutter Ant Species Specimen Atta sp. Tarantula Hawk Wasp

Scientific Name: Atta sp.

The Atta genus (leafcutter ants) are agricultural ants that inhabit Central and South America, known for cutting leaves to bring back to their nests and cultivating fungi for food. They are highly social eusocial insects that build enormous underground nests centered around a queen ant. Specifically, Atta cephalotes and Atta sexdens are also known as pests that cause severe damage to agricultural crops due to their large-scale leaf pruning.

Atta ants are known for their feeding habits. Worker ants gather plant matter from around the colony and transport it to underground chambers within the colony. This organic matter serves as nourishment for symbiotic fungi that live within the colony, which the ants then consume. Leafcutter ants do not sting and therefore do not inject venom, but they are known for their strong bite.

Like other ants, Atta ants undergo complete metamorphosis. They hatch from eggs as larvae, grow until they become pupae, and finally, adults emerge from the pupae.

Social Structure: They form massive colonies with multiple worker ant castes (different sizes and roles).
The majority of ants living in an Atta ant colony belong to the worker caste. All worker ants are wingless females and are incapable of sexual reproduction. Worker ants gather food, excavate the nest, and care for the queen and larvae. A mature Atta ant colony can consist of millions of worker ants.
Physically distinct forms are also recognized within the worker and larval castes. For example, studies on the sexual reproductive ants of Atta have confirmed two distinct larval forms: gardener and nursery types, and omnivorous ants within the nest.

We apologize, but we cannot offer a guarantee against downgrading due to transportation.
We will ship the pictured individual collected from Ro Venado, Satipo, Junin Province, Peru, at an altitude of 1200m. My measurement indicated it was 10mm. It was collected between December 17, 2021, and February 8, 2022.