Texas Leaf Cutting Ant
Atta texana (Buckley, 1860)
Observed/Collected Location: YMCA Rainbow Ranch, Buda, Hays County, Texas
Date: February 14, 2010
Diet: Fungus
Habitat: Deep sandy areas
Range: South central and east Texas, scattered parts of northwest Louisiana.
Notes: This red brown ant cultivates fungus as a food source. The worker ants tend an underground garden of fungus in their nest. The workers use pieces of vegetation as a nest building substrate and a food source for their cultured fungus. Colonies can stretch as much as half and acre and reach depths of eight feet. A single colony can do significant damage to nearby greenery.