Division of labor in work shifts by leaf-cutting ants [PDF]
Scientific Reports, 2021 Foraging rhythms in eusocial insects are determined by the colony´s overall pattern. However, in leaf-cutting ant workers, individual rhythms are not fully synchronized with the colonies’ rhythm.
Pedro B. Constantino +2 more
doaj +4 more sources
Leaf processing behaviour in Atta leafcutter ants: 90% of leaf cutting takes place inside the nest, and ants select pieces that require less cutting [PDF]
Royal Society Open Science, 2016 Leafcutter ants cut trimmings from plants, carry them to their underground nests and cut them into smaller pieces before inoculating them with a fungus that serves as a primary food source for the colony. Cutting is energetically costly, so the amount of
Ryan W. Garrett +5 more
doaj +3 more sources
Shared Escovopsis parasites between leaf-cutting and non-leaf-cutting ants in the higher attine fungus-growing ant symbiosis [PDF]
Royal Society Open Science, 2015 Fungus-gardening (attine) ants grow fungus for food in protected gardens, which contain beneficial, auxiliary microbes, but also microbes harmful to gardens.
Lucas A. Meirelles +5 more
doaj +5 more sources
Morphophysiological differences between the metapleural glands of fungus-growing and non-fungus-growing ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). [PDF]
PLoS ONE, 2012 The metapleural gland is an organ exclusive to ants. Its main role is to produce secretions that inhibit the proliferation of different types of pathogens.
Alexsandro Santana Vieira +2 more
doaj +1 more source
Adaptive social immunity in leaf-cutting ants [PDF]
Biology Letters, 2009 Social insects have evolved a suite of sophisticated defences against parasites. In addition to the individual physiological immune response, social insects also express ‘social immunity’ consisting of group-level defences and behaviours that include allogrooming.
Walker, Tom N., Hughes, William O. H.
openaire +7 more sources
Microorganisms, 2021 Leaf-cutting ants live in mutualistic symbiosis with their garden fungus Leucoagaricus gongylophorus that can be attacked by the specialized pathogenic fungus Escovopsis.
Basanta Dhodary, Dieter Spiteller
doaj +1 more source
Susceptibility of Atta sexdens worker ants treated with the immunosuppressant Sandimmun Neoral to Metarhizium anisopliae [PDF]
Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira, 2017 : The objective of this work was to evaluate if the immunosuppressant Sandimmun Neoral enhances the activity of Metarhizium anisopliae against the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens.
Aline Silvestre Pereira Dornelas +7 more
doaj +2 more sources
Insects, 2022 Atta and Acromyrmex are the main genera of leaf-cutting ants present in North and South America, causing extensive damage to agroforestry. Control of the ants requires high handling costs with few effective methods available to decrease the losses.
Sean Araújo +10 more
doaj +1 more source
Sociobiology, 2023 Leaf-cutting ants manage their waste continuously to avoid risks of colony contamination. The presence of residues or their odor near foraging areas is enough for ants to stop attacking plant tissues.
Leandro Sousa-Souto +2 more
doaj +1 more source
The dynamics of plant cell-wall polysaccharide decomposition in leaf-cutting ant fungus gardens. [PDF]
PLoS ONE, 2011 The degradation of live plant biomass in fungus gardens of leaf-cutting ants is poorly characterised but fundamental for understanding the mutual advantages and efficiency of this obligate nutritional symbiosis.
Isabel E Moller +4 more
doaj +1 more source