Acromyrmex crassispinus
| Acromyrmex crassispinus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Acromyrmex |
| Species: | A. crassispinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Acromyrmex crassispinus Forel, 1909[1] | |
Acromyrmex crassispinus is a species of leaf-cutter ant, a New World ant of the subfamily Myrmicinae found in the wild naturally throughout South America, especially in Argentina and Paraguay. This species is from one of the two genera of advanced fungus-growing ants within the tribe Attini. Commonly known as "leaf-cutter ants", they are a species of ant from one of the two genera of advanced attines.
Acromyrmex can be identified from the closely related Atta genus of leafcutter ants since they have 4 pairs of spines and a rough exoskeleton on the upper surface of the thorax.
A mature A. crassispinus colony contains more than eight million ants, mostly sterile female workers. They are divided into castes, based mostly on size. Acromyrmex species exhibit a high degree of biological polymorphism, four castes being present in established colonies - minims (or "garden ants"), minors, mediae, and majors. Majors are also known as soldiers or dinergates. Each caste has a specific function within the colony. Acromyrmex ants are less polymorphic than the other genera of leafcutter ants, Atta, meaning comparatively less differential in size exists from the smallest to largest castes. The high degree of polymorphism in this genus is also suggestive of its high degree of advancement.
Like Atta, Acromyrmex subsists mostly on a particular species of fungus (genus Leucocoprinus) which it cultivates on a medium of masticated leaf tissue. This is the sole food of the queen and other colony members that remain in the nest. The mediae also gain subsistence from plant sap they ingest whilst physically cutting out sections of leaf from a variety of plants.
Before leaving their parent colonies, winged females take a small section of fungus into their buccal pouches, with which the subsequently wingless queens 'seed' the fungus gardens of incipient colonies, cutting and collecting the first few sections of leaf themselves.
Acromyrmex has evolved to change foodplant constantly, preventing a colony from completely stripping off leaves and thereby killing trees, thus avoiding negative biological feedback on account of their sheer numbers. However, this does not diminish the huge quantities of foliage they harvest.
Acromyrmex crassispinus is black-brown in colour; the queen is 10 – 12 mm in size and the workers may range from 5 to 15 mm long.
Synonyms
- Acromyrmex atratus Gonçalves, 1961
- A. diabolica Gonçalves, 1961
- A. insularis Gonçalves, 1961
- A. mediocris Gonçalves, 1961
- A. mesonotalis Forel, 1909
- A. rufescens Gonçalves, 1961
- A. rusticus Gonçalves, 1961
See also
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acromyrmex crassispinus. |
- ↑ "Species: Acromyrmex crassispinus". AntWeb. 2010-06-30. Retrieved 2010-08-20.