# Leafcutter Ant (*Atta cephalotes*)

> 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.

- **Category:** Insect
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Neotropical forests from Mexico through Central America into Amazonia.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/leafcutter-ant/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Hymenoptera
- **Family:** Formicidae
- **Genus:** Atta

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Atta cephalotes |
| Diet | Fungus (farmed on leaf pulp) |
| Habitat | Tropical rainforest floor and canopy trails |
| Lifespan | Around 10 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity). |
| Weight | About 5e-05 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary). |
| Top speed | Up to roughly 2 km/h when moving at speed. |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Agriculture in miniature

Castes include tiny garden tenders and large soldiers with formidable mandibles. Workers cut vegetation, chew it into pulp, and fertilise a specialised fungus that is the colony's true food. Queens can live a decade or more.

## Fungus, not foliage

Ants harvest leaves, flowers, and grasses as compost for their fungal cultivar. They carefully weed gardens of contaminant moulds — one of the most sophisticated non-human farming systems.

## Mexico to Amazonia trails

Tropical rainforest floor and canopy trails from Mexico through Central America into Amazonia. Night and day columns radiate from enormous nest mounds.

## Ecosystem engineers

Least Concern and ecologically vital as nutrient recyclers, yet they conflict with farmers and gardeners. Nest excavation turns over soil on a landscape scale.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do leafcutter ants eat leaves?

No — they use leaf pulp to grow a fungus, and the ants eat the fungus (and specialised fungal structures).

### How many ants are in a leafcutter colony?

Mature Atta colonies can contain hundreds of thousands to several million workers.

### Why do leafcutters cut circles from leaves?

Disc shapes are efficient to cut and carry; trail workers transport them back to the nest like tiny umbrellas.

### Are leafcutter ants dangerous to people?

Soldiers can deliver painful bites, but they are not a medical venom threat like some ants or wasps.

### Where do leafcutter ants live?

Neotropical forests from Mexico through Central America into the Amazon basin.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/leafcutter-ant/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.