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Tiny leafcutter ants


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#1 Offline LowQualityAnts - Posted October 16 2022 - 6:06 AM

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I found these ants in costal Mississippi. They are about 3mm long and look like attini. I didn't see them carrying any plant leaves or debris but there were excavating a nest.

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#2 Offline ANTdrew - Posted October 16 2022 - 6:12 AM

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Trachymyrmex septentrionalis. Cool find!
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#3 Offline LowQualityAnts - Posted October 16 2022 - 6:17 AM

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Thanks! I thought that but i didn't realize leafcutter ants could be so small.

#4 Offline Mettcollsuss - Posted October 16 2022 - 7:30 AM

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Not technically a true leafcutter. But yeah, aside from the leafcutters, fungus growers generally aren't that large. Most genera are gonna be around the same size as the Trachy you saw if not smaller.


Edited by Mettcollsuss, October 16 2022 - 7:34 AM.

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#5 Offline LowQualityAnts - Posted October 16 2022 - 7:59 AM

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Not technically a true leafcutter. But yeah, aside from the leafcutters, fungus growers generally aren't that large. Most genera are gonna be around the same size as the Trachy you saw if not smaller.


I remember seeing that they used organic debris as fungus food on a care guide a few weeks ago.
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#6 Offline mmcguffi - Posted October 16 2022 - 5:35 PM

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maybe not a part of the true leaf cutter clade, but they are a "higher" attine and indeed do cut leaves sometimes :)

 

T. septentrionalis is one of my favorite ants -- I hope to get a colony some day


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