leafcutters
Fungus-farming colony insects
Leafcutters are ants or bees that cut pieces from leaves.
Leafcutter ants, found in the Americas, harvest leaf fragments not to eat but to cultivate fungus in underground gardens—the fungus feeds the colony.
Leafcutter bees cut circular pieces from leaves to line their nests.
Both are named for the distinctive semicircular holes they leave behind.
Dependent territorial settlement
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
- mandiblesPaired arthropod mouthparts
- casteInherited social division
- queenMost powerful chess piece
worker · soldier · minims · larvae · pupae · nests · pheromones · biomass
Fungal filament network
- hyphaeFungal filamentous structures
- cultivationFostering growth through care
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
- symbiosisInterspecies biological interdependence
harvest · decomposition · cultivar · antibiotics · weeding · monoculture
Wet tropical woodland ecosystem
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- canopyOverhead protective covering
- understoryForest's lower vegetation tier
biodiversity · ecosystem · defoliation · herbivory · neotropical · Amazon
Joint effort toward shared aim
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
- hitchhikersThose seeking free rides
- defenseProtection against harm
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
colony
Dependent territorial settlement
queen · worker · soldier · minims · larvae · pupae · nests · pheromones · biomass · trail
mycelium
Fungal filament network
- hyphaeFungal filamentous structures
- cultivationFostering growth through care
- mutualismTwo-way biological benefit
symbiosis · harvest · decomposition · cultivar · antibiotics · weeding · monoculture
rainforest
Wet tropical woodland ecosystem
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- habitatOrganism's natural environment
- canopyOverhead protective covering
understory · biodiversity · ecosystem · defoliation · herbivory · neotropical · Amazon
defoliation
Loss of foliage
- strippingRemoving outer layers
teamwork
Joint effort toward shared aim
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
- hitchhikersThose seeking free rides
- defenseProtection against harm
communication · coordination · efficiency · specialization · nest-building
leafcuttersarmy ants
Nomadic predatory insect colony
termites · detritivores · carpenter ants · carrion beetles · dung beetles
- leafcutter antFoliage-harvesting colonial insect