Montshire Museum of Science

Leafcutter Ants

Our colony of these ants native to Central and South America go about their lives in a transparent exhibit for visitors to see. This colony of farmers take the leaves with which we supply them, chew the leaves into a paste, and use the paste to feed the fungus they grow to support the colony. Watch a magnified view of the ants cutting the leaves into small pieces in the viewing chamber, and then follow them as they transport the leaf cuttings one by one to the fungus garden. If you are lucky you may get to see the queen ant in one of her rare public appearances!

Location
Museum Building