O Império Myrmex: Acromyrmex (en)

Acromyrmex

What are? Where they are found? What is the life expectancy? What do they eat? Their species and Genres. What are your habits?

What are?

The Acromyrmex, leafcutter ant. Are ants similar to attas with respect to their habits, and are also eusocial, ie , are very, very, very organized. Having in their society, breeding ants, soldiers, dumpsters, leafcutter ant and Nurses, displaying 03 (Three) characteristics in their society: The passing of generations in the same nest, the mutual care of the nest and the division of tasks (Breeding and Worker). The Society of Acromyrmex is divided between: Fertile (queen and male) and Infertile (Collectors, Nurses, cleaners, guards and Farmers).

Fertiles

Queen

The Acromyrmex Queen is the largest ant of all the anthill and is also the only that can procreate. It is born of another Queen, ie, a fertile queen lays an egg, the egg becomes a larva created and nurtured especially to become sexually mature and active (during the larval stage the levels of care and nutrition will determine what type of ant go become when given little food, the larvae, become workers, but However when a larva receives a lot of food, it will develop into a queen), then turns into a cocoon and is born a female ant queen. Since egg up to adulthood is one of eggs more care in the nest , but they are born only three years after the colony was founded and then mates with the male, then falls to the ground and starts a new tingling, starting the cycle again.

The identification of the Queen Acromyrmex, is not difficult, they and all the ants have a hard shell, called the Exoskeleton, their body is divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen, and in the acromyrmexs Queens, the abdomen is the biggest of all of anthill. They have flexible antennas that use to investigate objects, feel tastes and smells, and has thorns or bulges in the back that differ from other Attas other ants young Queens have a pair of wings that are used only for the nuptial flight, after this flight they remove the wings.

Male

The Acromyrmex male is one of the least care eggs. Like the Queen, he is born to be male, is the only ant colony that is "male", it is also produced after three years, but can born before or at the beginning of the colony, but it will not last long time.

Infertiles

Leafcutter

Your job as the name says, is to leave the colony or nest to Spoon, to Cut and Load back to the nest where have, (unlike what many people think, they do not take leaves to eat, but to feed a fungus that they create), in turn the fungus feed all ants of Acromyrmex anthill.

Nurses

They take care of the eggs, larvae and cocoons and help the queen to take care of the puppies.

Soldiers

They protect the anthill of attacks, invasions or robberies. All soldiers are characterized by being the only non-fertile ants have a head a little higher than the others.

Dumpsters

The Number 4 is the place that Acromyrmex ants put a dump

Take care of cleaning the colony, they carry the garbage to a gallery (compartment) deeper and away from other ants for not transmit diseases. Some examples of waste are fungi and dead ants.

Where they are found?

They can be found throughout Brazil and countries of Latin America in the north, Mexico and some parts of the United States.

What is the life expectancy?

The queen can live 20 up to 25 (twenty) years, The Operatives of 02 (two) to 04 (four) years and males a few months before the nuptial flight where they all go to "slaughter".

What do they eat?

The Acromyrmex eat fungi, a fungus that they themselves create, feed and eat. The Queen before leaving the anthill that she was born, she carries in her mouth a piece of fungus that has this tingling, takes it in his mouth for so settle in a new place can grow it and feed it with the stored fat in her abdomen for 02 (two) months, where eats nothing and only eat food when their the 1st workers born.

Their species and Genres

Nos Estados Unidos existem 02(Dois) espécies de Acromyrmex.

· Acromyrmex Versicolor