The leaf cutter ant is also called umbrella or parasol ants. The worker leaf cutter ant has different sizes, ranging from 1/16in to 1/2in. They are red in colour. The females are much larger. They are over 2in long and rusty brown in colour. They have spiny bodies and long legs.

The leaf cutter ants usually carry out their activities at night. The worker ants cut the leaves and hold them above their heads. The ants themselves do not consume the leaves but they carry them to their underground colony. The leaves are actually used to feed mould-like fungi living in a deep place in the nest. The fungi will then produce the food for the ants.

In the nest, there are usually 2 million worker ants and 1 queen. Each day, the queen produces about 30,000 eggs. However, before she does that, she prepares a nesting area for her eggs with the fungi and uses her wastes to give nutrients to the fungi.

birds          Black Skimmer           Great Egret           Harpy Eagle

Macaw           Yellow-tufted Woodpecker

fish          piranha

insects          Leaf Cutter Ant

mammals          Brazilian Tapir           Collared Peccary           Giant Anteater           Giant Otter

Howler Monkey           Owl Monkey           Jaguar           Pink Dolphin

reptiles          Anaconda Snake           Tree Boa           Black Caiman

rodents          Brown Agouti           Capybara