Leaf-Cutter Ant
Atta cephelotes

DESCRIPTION:
Leaf-cutter ants live in a large colony which consists of a queen, a few male drones and many female workers. There are different types of worker, each with a different job. They include nurses, soldiers and gardeners.

The ants have very powerful jaws which act like a tiny chainsaw, vibrating about 1000 times per second to cut off pieces of leaf. These are then taken back to the nest but are not eaten by the ants. In fact they use the leaves as compost to cultivate the fungus which is their food.

The ants are incredibly strong and can often be seen carrying pieces of leaf at least 20 times heavier than themselves.