North American leaf-cutter ant (SciiFii)

The North American leaf-cutter ant (Atta americanum) is a species of leafcutter ant in the tribe Attini (the fungus-growing ants), most closely related to Atta cephalotes, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across North America to help boost biodiversity. As with other members of the genus Atta, the North American leaf-cutter ants are relatively large, rusty brown in colour, and have a spiny body and long legs. The three main castes within a nest are the queen, worker, and soldier. Only the queens and males have wings (alate), and these ants are also known as reproductives or swarmers. Although most of the ants in the nest are female, only the queens produce eggs. Queens are usually over 20 mm long. A single colony of North American leaf-cutter ants can contain up to 5 million members, and each colony has one queen that can live more than 15 years. The colony comprises different castes, known as "task partitioning", and each caste has a different job to do. A special caste of workers manages the colony's rubbish dump. These ants are excluded from the rest of the colony. If any wander outside the dump, the other ants will kill them or force them back. Rubbish workers are often contaminated with disease and toxins, and live only half as long as their peers. Across the forest floor they typically occupy an area of approximately 20 square feet. They live in nests that can be as deep as 7 metres that they have carefully positioned so that a breeze can rid the nest of the dangerous levels of CO2 given off by the fungus they farm and eat. North American leaf-cutter ants can create bottom-up gaps by forming their large nests. The North American leaf-cutter ants excavate soil rich in organic matter, and store additional organic matter in their underground chambers. This creates rich soils that promote plant growth. The North American leaf-cutter ants can also trim the leaves of plants in the understory, allowing for more light to hit the forest floor. They can also control the types of trees and other plants by selectively bringing seeds into the underground chambers. Depending on the location of the chamber, a seed can grow by reaching light. The conservation status of the North American leaf-cutter ant is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the North American leaf-cutter ant's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii