Diet of the leafcutting ant, Atta mexicana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a Sonoran Desert habitat
Mintzer A. 1994. Diet of the leafcutting ant, Atta mexicana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in a Sonoran Desert habitat
Two colonies at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument of leafcutting ants were monitored over a 2 1/2-year period, and the amounts and kinds of plant materials collected were documented. An estimated annual harvest for each colony is about 200 kg. Although most surrounding vegetation was used to some extent, creosote bush leaves and flowers were the most used during winter, and palo verde trees April through November. The resins on creosote leaves are not a hindrance to use as food because the fungal partner "farmed" by the ants acts as intermediary. Bibliography, 3 tables.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Mintzer, Alex
- Date of Issue
- 1994
- Units
- ORPI
- Keywords
- Ants (Formicidae), Distribution, Ecology, Entomology, Food, Insects (Insecta), Invertebrates (Invertebrata), leafcutter ant (Atta mexicana), Precipitation, Reproduction