- Where to see one
- 3 U.S. zoos in our directory hold leafcutter ant, confirmed against each zoo's own animal list.
Conservation status
Not Evaluated
This species has not been assessed for the IUCN Red List, so it sits outside the threat scale entirely.
About the leafcutter ant
Leafcutter ants are fungus-growing ants of Central and South America, Mexico and parts of the southern United States, with at least 55 species in three genera. Workers cut fresh leaves, flowers and grasses and carry them to underground nests, where the plant material feeds a fungus the colony farms. The fungus in turn feeds the larvae, while adults live on leaf sap. Colonies are divided into castes of different sizes, from tiny workers that tend the fungus garden to large soldiers. Their societies are among the largest and most complex on Earth apart from humans, and a nest can house millions of ants.
Leafcutter Ant facts
- Leafcutter ants can carry up to 50 times their own body weight.
- Their bite force is reported as 800 mN, about 2600 times their body weight.
- Only about 2.5% of young queens go on to found a long-lived colony.
- A bacterium growing on the ants secretes chemicals that act as portable antimicrobials for the fungus garden.
Where to see leafcutter ant in the U.S.
3 zoos across 3 states
Find the closest one
Rank the 3 zoos holding leafcutter ant by how far they are from you. Your location is used in your browser to sort this list and is never sent to us.
Arizona· 1
New Jersey· 1
Ohio· 1
AZAThe Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Accredited members have passed an independent inspection of animal care and welfare, safety, conservation and education, repeated every five years. Many smaller facilities never apply, so “not accredited” isn't a verdict on its own. What accreditation means · How we check this
Built from each zoo's own published animal list.
