2001.08.13 Are leaves the leaf-cutter ants' favorite food?

Leaf-cutter ants (Attini) don't eat any leaves at all. They take pieces of leaves back to the colony to feed the fungus garden that grows there. Then, they eat the fungus. Ants don't have the ability to digest the cellulose in the leaves, but the fungus does. The ants feed the fungus, and then they eat it. This cooperative relationship is called symbiosis -- one cannot survive without the other. This extraordinary process has evolved over thousands of years. --Dr. K

For more information about leaf-cutter ants visit A. San Juan's The Lurker's Guide to Leaf Cutter ants.