Using this method, it was possible to establish the near-simultaneous emergence of two distinct fungal lineages from the same ancestor of today's leafcutter ants (a group known as Attini ...

Ph.D. student Juju Dessert will explore the fascinating world of leafcutter ants. These ants aren’t eating the leaves they carry—they use plant matter to cultivate a special fungus in their ...

Others — just as complex and mysterious — continue to live on, largely unobserved, for countless eons. Consider leafcutter ants in the genus Atta. Up to 8 million of these industrious insects live in ...

Fifty million years before humankind began farming, ancient ants were already in the agriculture business. Over time, leafcutter ants have evolved a complex system of agriculture in their nests ...

This image shows leafcutter ants. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any ...

These glass boxes and tubes have been built to replicate the underground tunnels and chambers of an ant colony in the wild, and they're full of busy leafcutter ants. ADAM:'This is the first time ...

For Atta mexicana, a tropical leafcutter ant that lives here at the northernmost limit of its range, the rain means it’s almost time to mate. Few people ever see a mating swarm, which happens before ...