![]() ![]() Instead an ideal setup is a deli cup (I suggest 3oz for Atta) with a base of an absorbent material, such as Plaster of Paris, Ultracal 30, or Hydrostone. As we all know cotton balls just love to mold over, and this mold growth is a death sentence for any fungus that may have been started in the test tube. One further rule I'll add is to never use a test tube with fungus growers. The next thing that people should know is what setups are suitable for leafcutters, and for many the answer may be more simple than expected. Generally an ambient heat that is less than 85f is fine, however anything more than that or any direct heat is almost always a bad idea. With Atta especially, too warm of temperatures can not only kill fungus but also cause the workers to stop foraging entirely, creating a snowball effect. In the wild their nests are constructed in a specific way to allow for ventilation into the lower chambers to control temperature, and the nests themselves are several feet underground to insulate the fungus from the summer sun. Now, this may be hard to believe considering that species like Acromyrmex versicolor and Atta mexicana live in the desert, where it can reach well over 110f, but this same statement holds true for them. ![]() I've found that temperatures over 85f are lethal to the fungus, and more than even a few minutes at these temperatures can cause fungus to die at an irreversible rate. With that out of the way, let's start with what I would consider the golden rule when it comes to these species: NEVER HEAT FUNGUS GROWERS. I've seen this done too many times and it needs to be put out there that fungus growing ants do horribly in too hot of temperatures. This topic will be covering the main range of fungus growing ants that people in the US would expect to keep Atta, Acromyrmex, and Trachymyrmex.īefore we start, I do want to link my two main leafcutter journals, my Atta mexicana and Acromyrmex versicolor, as well as the Antkeeping & Ethology Discord server and my website,. Nothing says that my experiences with my colonies will 100% reflect others' experiences, however this is meant to serve as a guide to how I've had such success with these ants and to clear up any misconceptions that may be floating around about them. s.I do want to preface this by saying that while everything in this topic is what I personally have observed, read about, and practiced with my own fungus growing ants, it isn't necessarily 100% true. Southern Mexico to Panama, across northern South America in Venezuelaįormiga-quiçaçá ( A. lundi)īachaco sabanero, carieira, quenquém-mineira-da-Amazônia pubescens), formiga-mineira-preta, quenquém-mineira ( A. Hormigas jardineras, hormiga negra, formiga-mineira ( A. fallax), quenquém-de-cisco-da-Amazôniaīoca-de-cisco ( A. Southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentinaįormiga-mineira ( A. Throughout South America, especially in Argentina and Paraguay Texas, Louisiana, northeastern states of Mexico Town ant, parasol ant, fungus ant, Texas leafcutter ant, cut ant, night ant ![]() Southern United States to northern Argentina This is a list of leafcutter ants, comprising 42 species from two genera: Atta and Acromyrmex. ![]()
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