Texas leafcutter ant

Texas leafcutter ant
	Atta texana harvesting from a catalpa tree
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Formicidae
Subfamily:	Myrmicinae
Tribe:	Attini
Genus:	Atta
Species:	A. texana
Binomial name
	Atta texana; Buckley, 1860

Atta texana is a fungus-farming ant species of the genus Atta, found in Texas, Louisiana, and northeastern states of Mexico.[1] Common names include town ant, parasol ant, fungus ant, Texas leafcutter ant, cut ant, and night ant. It harvests leaves from over 200 plant species, and is considered a major pest of agricultural and ornamental plants,[2] as it can defoliate a citrus tree in less than 24 hours. Every colony has several queens and up to 2 million workers. Nests are built in well-drained, sandy or loamy soil, and may reach a depth of 6 m (20 ft), have 1000 entrance holes, and occupy 420 m² (4,500 sq ft).[1]

Description

A. texana workers measure 4 to 14 mm (0.16 to 0.55 in) in length, and are highly polymorphic. The back of the thorax has three pairs of spines. The ant has a narrow waist and is rusty brown in color.[1]

Behavior

The nuptial flights of A. texana synchronize in regions; the virgin queens and males fly at night.[3]

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References

Robinson, William H. (2005). Handbook of Urban Insects and Arachnids. Cambridge University Press. pp. 238–239. ISBN 978-0-521-81253-5.
"Texas Leaf Cutting Ant". Insects in the City. Texas AgriLife Extension. 2006-08-30. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
Hölldobler, Bert; Holldobler, Foundation Professor of Biology Bert; Wilson, Honorary Curator in Entomology and University Research Professor Emeritus Edward O.; Wilson, Edward O. (2009). The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393067040.

Evans, Arthur V (2007). "Ants, Bees, and Wasps: Order Hymenoptera". National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders & Related Species of North America. Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. p. 380. ISBN 978-1-4027-4153-1.

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[Robinson-1] Robinson, William H. (2005). Handbook of Urban Insects and Arachnids. Cambridge University Press. pp. 238–239. ISBN 978-0-521-81253-5.

[AgriLife-2] "Texas Leaf Cutting Ant". Insects in the City. Texas AgriLife Extension. 2006-08-30. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved 2010-01-04.

[3] Hölldobler, Bert; Holldobler, Foundation Professor of Biology Bert; Wilson, Honorary Curator in Entomology and University Research Professor Emeritus Edward O.; Wilson, Edward O. (2009). The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 9780393067040.