Leaf-cutter Ants

Description

A leafcutter ant carries a leaf fragment to her underground nest to feed the fungus that these ants cultivate for food. Unlike most leaf-cutting ants, which keep their waste underground, Atta colombica dumps it in a heap outside the nest, always downhill from the entrances. Waste workers never switch to foraging, and most foraging trails lead away from the heap, which probably helps limit the spread of disease.