Diet

• Does not eat the leaves it cuts. Instead, workers harvest pieces of leaves, flowers, petals, and other vegetation to cultivate a specialized fungus (Leucoagaricus spp.) inside the nest.

• The cultivated fungus serves as the colony's primary food source, especially for the queen and larvae.

• Adult workers also consume nutrient-rich fungal structures and plant sap.

Range

• Native to southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.

• In Mexico, it occurs in the southern Pacific and Gulf regions, including Guerrero, where it is found in suitable tropical habitats.

• Its range extends south through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and into Colombia and Venezuela.

Habitat

• Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical rainforests, secondary forests, forest edges, plantations, agricultural land, and gardens.

• Colonies are built in the soil, often beneath trees or shrubs, with numerous underground chambers dedicated to cultivating fungus.

• Most foraging occurs at night or during the cooler hours of the day, although activity may continue throughout the day in humid conditions.

Size

• Worker length: 4–12 mm (0.16–0.47 in), depending on caste.

• Queen length: 18–22 mm (0.7–0.9 in).

• Mature colonies may contain tens of thousands of ants.