Atta laevigata

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Atta laevigata
Atta laevigata casent0173811 profile 1.jpg
A. laevigata worker
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Formicidae
Subfamily: Myrmicinae
Genus: Atta
Species:
A. laevigata
Binomial name
Atta laevigata
(Smith, 1858) [1]

Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858) is one of about a dozen species of leafcutter ants in the genus Atta , found from Venezuela and south to Paraguay. This species is one of the largest leafcutter species, and can be recognized by the smooth and shining head of the largest workers in a colony. Atta laevigata is known in northern South America as hormiga culona (literally translated as "big-assed ant"), or as sikisapa in Peru, zompopo de mayo in Central America, bachaco culón in Venezuela, akango in Paraguay, and chicatana in Mexico. [2] [3] In Brazil they are known as "saúva-cabeça-de-vidro" (literally "glass-headed saúva"), with saúva being the common name for all Atta ants. [4]

Contents

The colony sizes of these ants are made up of around 3.5 million individuals. [5]

Cuisine

Hormiga culona Hormigas Culonas from Santander.jpg
Hormiga culona

The hormiga culona has been eaten for hundreds (if not thousands) of years, as a tradition inherited from pre-colonial cultures such as the Guanes. The ants are harvested for about nine weeks during the rainy season every year, at the time when they make their nuptial flight. A. laevigata are used as traditional gifts in weddings. There are local superstitions and beliefs regarding the ants as aphrodisiacs. [6]

The harvesting is done by local workers, who are often bitten by the ants with their strong mandibles. Only the queen ants are collected, as the other ants within a colony are not considered edible. The legs and wings are removed, at which point the ants are soaked in salty water, before being roasted in ceramic pans. The main centers of production for hormigas culonas are the municipalities of San Gil and Barichara. From there, the trade of the ants is extended to Bucaramanga and Bogotá, where the packages containing ants are often seen during the rainy season. The primary exporting of the product is to Canada, England and Japan.[ citation needed ]

Analyses conducted at the Industrial University of Santander, on the nutritional value of the ants, [7] show high levels of protein, very low levels of saturated fat, and an overall decent nutritional value.[ citation needed ]

Atta laevigata is a temporary source of income for the poorer people of the department. The harvesting of the ant queens (as well as the competition for resources with more aggressive species of leafcutter-ants/"arrieras") causes a progressive decrease of the ant populations, as estimated in recent studies; [8] according to observations, only a sixth of the ant population of twelve years ago exists today, and for this reason, there is concern about the species’ future.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ant</span> Family of insects

Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their geniculate (elbowed) antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.

<i>Atta</i> (ant) Genus of ants

Atta is a genus of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae. It contains at least 17 known species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leafcutter ant</span> Any of 47 species of leaf-chewing ants

Leafcutter ants, a non-generic name, are any of 47 species of leaf-chewing ants belonging to the two genera Atta and Acromyrmex. These species of tropical, fungus-growing ants are all endemic to South and Central America, Mexico, and parts of the southern United States. Leafcutter ants can carry twenty times their body weight and cut and process fresh vegetation to serve as the nutritional substrate for their fungal cultivates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fungus-growing ants</span> Tribe of ants

Fungus-growing ants comprise all the known fungus-growing ant species participating in ant–fungus mutualism. They are known for cutting grasses and leaves, carrying them to their colonies' nests, and using them to grow fungus on which they later feed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas leafcutter ant</span> Species of ant

The Texas leafcutter ant is a species of fungus-farming ant in the subfamily Myrmicinae. It is found in Texas, Louisiana, and north-eastern Mexico. Other common names include town ant, parasol ant, fungus ant, cut ant, and night ant. It harvests leaves from over 200 plant species, and is considered a major pest of agricultural and ornamental plants, as it can defoliate a citrus tree in less than 24 hours. Every colony has several queens and up to 2 million workers. Nests are built in well-drained, sandy or loamy soil, and may reach a depth of 6 m (20 ft), have 1000 entrance holes, and occupy 420 m2 (4,500 sq ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carpenter ant</span> Genus of ants (Camponotus spp.)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myrmecophyte</span> Plants that live in association with ants

Myrmecophytes are plants that live in a mutualistic association with a colony of ants. There are over 100 different genera of myrmecophytes. These plants possess structural adaptations that provide ants with food and/or shelter. These specialized structures include domatia, food bodies, and extrafloral nectaries. In exchange for food and shelter, ants aid the myrmecophyte in pollination, seed dispersal, gathering of essential nutrients, and/or defense. Specifically, domatia adapted to ants may be called myrmecodomatia.

<i>Atta sexdens</i> Species of ant

Atta sexdens is a species of leafcutter ant belonging to the tribe Attini, native to America, from the southern United States (Texas) to northern Argentina. They are absent from Chile. They cut leaves to provide a substrate for the fungus farms which are their principal source of food. Their societies are among the most complex found in social insects. A. sexdens is an ecologically important species, but also an agricultural pest. Other Atta species, such as Atta texana, Atta cephalotes and others, have similar behavior and ecology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern tamandua</span> Species of anteater

The southern tamandua, also called the collared anteater or lesser anteater, is a species of anteater from South America and the island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. It is a solitary animal found in many habitats, from mature to highly disturbed secondary forests and arid savannas. It feeds on ants, termites, and bees. Its very strong foreclaws can be used to break insect nests or to defend itself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ant–fungus mutualism</span> Symbiotic relationship

The ant–fungus mutualism is a symbiosis seen between certain ant and fungal species, in which ants actively cultivate fungus much like humans farm crops as a food source. There is only evidence of two instances in which this form of agriculture evolved in ants resulting in a dependence on fungi for food. These instances were the attine ants and some ants that are part of the Megalomyrmex genus. In some species, the ants and fungi are dependent on each other for survival. This type of codependency is prevalent among herbivores who rely on plant material for nutrition. The fungus’ ability to convert the plant material into a food source accessible to their host makes them the ideal partner. The leafcutter ant is a well-known example of this symbiosis. Leafcutter ants species can be found in southern South America up to the United States. However, ants are not the only ground-dwelling arthropods which have developed symbioses with fungi. A similar mutualism with fungi is also noted in termites within the subfamily Macrotermitinae which are widely distributed throughout the Old World tropics with the highest diversity in Africa.

<i>Acromyrmex</i> Genus of ants

Acromyrmex is a genus of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae. This genus is found in South America and parts of Central America and the Caribbean Islands, and contains 33 known species. Commonly known as "leafcutter ants" they comprise one of the two genera of advanced attines within the tribe Attini, along with Atta.

<i>Atta colombica</i> Species of ant

Atta colombica is one of 47 species of leafcutter ants. This species is part of the Attini tribe.

<i>Atta mexicana</i> Species of ant

Atta mexicana is a species of leaf-cutter ant, a New World ant of the subfamily Myrmicinae of the genus Atta. This species is from one of the two genera of advanced attines within the tribe Attini.

<i>Atta insularis</i> Species of leafcutter ant endemic to Cuba

Atta insularis is a species of leafcutter ant, a New World ant of the subfamily Myrmicinae of the genus Atta endemic to Cuba. This species is from one of the two genera of advanced fungus-growing ants within the tribe Attini.

<i>Acromyrmex fracticornis</i> Species of ant

Acromyrmex fracticornis is a species of leaf-cutter ant, a New World ant of the subfamily Myrmicinae of the genus Acromyrmex. This species is from one of the two genera of advanced attines within the tribe Attini. It is found in the wild naturally in southern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina.

<i>Acromyrmex heyeri</i> Species of ant

Acromyrmex heyeri is a species of leaf-cutter ant, a New World ant of the subfamily Myrmicinae of the genus Acromyrmex.

Acromyrmex pubescens is a species of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae of the genus Acromyrmex. They are native to Paraguay.

<i>Leucoagaricus gongylophorus</i> Species of fungus

Leucoagaricus gongylophorus is a fungus in the family Agaricaceae which is cultivated by certain leafcutter ants. Like other species of fungi cultivated by ants, L. gongylophorus produces gongylidia, nutrient-rich hyphal swellings upon which the ants feed. Production of mushrooms occurs only once ants abandon the nest. L. gongylophorus is farmed by leaf cutter ant species belonging to the genera Atta and Acromyrmex, amongst others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chicatana sauce</span>

Chicatana ants sauce is a Mexican hot sauce of Mixtec origin, composed mainly of chicatana ants and some dry chili such as costeño or árbol. It also usually contains garlic, onion, tomato, salt and oil, and is traditionally ground in a metate or molcajete.

References

  1. ↑ "Atta laevigata". AntWeb. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  2. ↑ Philip Sloan; Willy Legrand; Clare Hindley, eds. (2015). The Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Food and Gastronomy. Routledge. p. 303. ISBN   9781134457403.
  3. ↑ "Chicatanas". www.exploringoaxaca.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "Saúva-cabeça-de-vidro: habitat e características". Meus Animais (in Portuguese). 2021-05-29. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  5. ↑ Hölldobler, Bert; Wilson, Edward O. (2009). The Superorganism: The Beauty, Elegance, and Strangeness of Insect Societies . W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN   9780393067040.
  6. ↑ Jonathan Deutsch; Natalya Murakhver, eds. (2012). They Eat That? A Cultural Encyclopedia of Weird and Exotic Food from around the World. ABC-CLIO. p. 94. ISBN   978-0-313-38058-7. LCCN   2011032630.
  7. ↑ Alfonso Villalobos et al., 1999[ full citation needed ]
  8. ↑ Santamaria et al. 2005[ full citation needed ]
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