Leaf cutter ants. View of a leaf cutter ant (Atta sp.) carrying a cut piece of leaf back to its nest. Several smaller workers are seen on the leaf piece,protecting the larger ant from parasites. These ants,which are found in tropical and sub- tropical America,build large underground nests. They gather leaf material and chew it up,forming a nutrient medium in the nest upon which grows a particular species of fungus. The ants harvest this fungus as food for themselves and their brood. A single colony can contain over a million workers. The area covered in the hunt for leaves is enormous,and ants may travel over 100 metres from the nest. Photographed in Costa Rica | |
Licence : | Droits gérés |
Crédit: | Science Photo Library / Ervin, William |
Taille de l’image : | 3685 px × 2486 px |
Model Release : | Non requis |
Property Release : | Non requis |
Restrictions : | - |