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Texas leafcutter ant
| Texas leafcutter ant | |
|---|---|
| |
| Harvesting from a catalpa tree | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Genus: | Atta |
| Species: | A. texana
|
| Binomial name | |
| Atta texana Buckley, 1860
| |
The Texas leafcutter ant (Atta texana) is a species of fungus-farming ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is found in Texas, Louisiana, and north-eastern Mexico.[1] Other common names include town ant, parasol ant, fungus 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]
- ^ a b 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.
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