{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "leafcutter-ant",
  "name": "Leafcutter Ant",
  "scientificName": "Atta cephalotes",
  "category": "Insect",
  "summary": "Leafcutter ants (Atta cephalotes) are Neotropical fungus farmers that slice fresh leaves into discs and carry them to underground gardens. Colonies from Mexico through Amazonia can hold millions of workers. They eat the cultivated fungus, not the leaves themselves, and are listed Least Concern — though a single colony can defoliate garden plants overnight.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Arthropoda",
    "class": "Insecta",
    "order": "Hymenoptera",
    "family": "Formicidae",
    "genus": "Atta"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.00005,
    "lengthM": 0.01,
    "topSpeedKmh": 2,
    "lifespanYears": 10
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Atta cephalotes"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Fungus (farmed on leaf pulp)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Tropical rainforest floor and canopy trails"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Around 10 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "About 5e-05 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to roughly 2 km/h when moving at speed."
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Neotropical forests from Mexico through Central America into Amazonia.",
    "continents": [
      "North America",
      "South America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/leafcutter-ant/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/leafcutter-ant/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}