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Atta texana - leafcutter ant
Texas

photograph © Alex Wild 2007

 
Ants slice through leaves using a repeated scissoring motion, where the leading mandible (on the right) is anchored into the leaf and pulls the trailing mandible to make the cut.

 
USA TX Travis Co.: Austin
Brackenridge Field Laboratory
150m 30º17.02´N 97º46.75´W 
iii.2007 Riparian forest, trail of ants carrying cut leaves.

This image is copyrighted by the photographer and cannot be used without permission. To obtain permission to use this image, please email Alex Wild. (alwild (at) myrmecos.net).  Most of the photographs on myrmecos.net are reduced from their original size and compressed for more efficient web transmission.  In some cases, higher quality versions are available.

This image was captured with a Canon EOS 20D, using a Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens.