Acromyrmex
Sign in to saveAcromyrmex is a genus of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae. This genus is found in South America and parts of Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean Islands, and contains 35 known species. Commonly known as "leafcutter ants" they comprise one of the two genera of advanced attines within the tribe Attini, along with Atta.
Species
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumArthropoda
- ClassInsecta
- OrderHymenoptera
- FamilyFormicidae
Observations1,491
via GBIF
Article
12 sectionsContents
- Anatomy
- Ecology
- Reproduction
- Colony hierarchy
- Ant-fungus mutualism
- Waste management
- Foraging behaviour
- Interactions with humans
- Species
- See also
- References
- External links
Acromyrmex is a genus of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae. This genus is found in South America and parts of Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean Islands, and contains 35 known species. Commonly known as "leafcutter ants" they comprise one of the two genera of advanced attines within the tribe Attini, along with Atta.
==Anatomy== left|thumb|Profile view of an Acromyrmex balzani|A. balzani worker Acromyrmex species' hard outer covering, the exoskeleton or cuticle, functions as armour, protection against dangerous solar waves, an attachment base for internal muscles, and to prevent water loss. It is divided into three main parts; the head, thorax, and abdomen. A small segment between the thorax and abdomen, the petiole, is split into two nodes in Acromyrmex species.