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Atta Leaf-cutter Ants
Plate 1 of 7. (c) Paul Cools, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Paul Cools · via iNaturalist

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants

Atta

Atta is a genus of ants found in South, Central, and southern North America (including the Caribbean). They belong to the subfamily Myrmicinae. Atta are commonly referred to as leafcutter ants, although that name is shared with members of the genus Acromyrmex.

Atta are notable for their feeding habits. Worker ants gather plant material from around their colony and carry it into the colony's underground chambers. The organic material feeds symbiotic fungi growing inside of the colony, which the ants consume. Atta do not sting, but they are known to be strong biters.

Continue reading on Wikipedia

15 branches of this genus, most-observed first

Hairy-headed leafcutter ant

speciesAtta cephalotes

Chicatana Leafcutter Ant

speciesAtta mexicana

Texas Leafcutter Ant

speciesAtta texana

Atta sexdens

speciesAtta sexdens

Colombian Leafcutter Ant

speciesAtta colombica

Atta laevigata

speciesAtta laevigata

Chaco Leafcutter Ant

speciesAtta vollenweideri

Atta robusta

speciesAtta robusta

Atta insularis

speciesAtta insularis

Atta opaciceps

speciesAtta opaciceps

Atta saltensis

speciesAtta saltensis

Atta bisphaerica

speciesAtta bisphaerica

Atta goiana

speciesAtta goiana

Atta cubana

speciesAtta cubana

Atta capiguara

speciesAtta capiguara

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Where it lives

Recorded sightings

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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.

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In the old herbals & bestiaries

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in Cosmographey: das ist Beschreibung aller Laender

Cosmographey: das ist Beschreibung aller Laender

Münster, Sebastian · 1598 · p.1351

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in Drie scheeps-togten na het goud-rijke koningrijk Guiana, in America geleegen, door den Engelssen ridder Wal...

Drie scheeps-togten na het goud-rijke koningrijk Guiana, in America geleegen, door den Engelssen ridder Wal...

Hakluyt, Richard · 1706 · p.36

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in History of Animals, Book II: On Oviparous Quadrupeds

History of Animals, Book II: On Oviparous Quadrupeds

Conrad Gessner · 1586 · p.580

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in Commentaries on the Six Books of Dioscorides on Medical Matter

Commentaries on the Six Books of Dioscorides on Medical Matter

Pietro Andrea Mattioli · 1563 · p.857

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in The Dialogue of Creatures

The Dialogue of Creatures

Anonymous · 1509 · p.63

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in Commentaries on the Six Books of Dioscorides

Commentaries on the Six Books of Dioscorides

Pietro Andrea Mattioli · 1560 · p.941

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in Compendium of Materia Medica

Compendium of Materia Medica

李時珍 · 1596 · p.71

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in Precursor to the Botanical Theatre

Precursor to the Botanical Theatre

Caspar Bauhin · 1620 · p.117

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in Treatise on Military Preparedness, Volume 56

Treatise on Military Preparedness, Volume 56

茅元儀 · 1621 · p.23

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in Florentine Codex, Vol. 3 (Books 10-12)

Florentine Codex, Vol. 3 (Books 10-12)

Bernardino de Sahagún · 1577 · p.495

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in Garden of Health

Garden of Health

Jacob Meydenbach · 1491 · p.600

Atta Leaf-cutter Ants in New Species of Brazilian Monkeys and Bats

New Species of Brazilian Monkeys and Bats

Johann Baptist von Spix (1781-1826) · 1823 · p.155

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In the stacks

Searching the stacks…

Every page naming Atta in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →

This page is assembled live from iNaturalist, GBIF, Wikipedia, the Source Library and the Internet Archive. It is not yet part of the hand-edited codex. iNaturalist taxon 61284.