Stats

Lifespan

10-15 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Nocturnal

Social

Colony

Biome

Temperate grassland

Range

North America

Movement

Walking

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Spines

Status

Uncommon

About

This ant lives in underground colonies across Texas and northeastern Mexico. It strips entire trees of their leaves in under a day to feed a specialized garden of fungus.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   egg

   A small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   An immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hymenoptera

Family

Formicidae

Genus

Atta

Species

Atta texana