The narrator visits the Leafcutter Ant Laboratory in Rio Claro, São Paulo, to observe how a leafcutter anthill operates. The laboratory hosts large ant colonies made of acrylic pots, mirroring the natural ant society.
The process begins with capturing ants during their mating season, typically between October and December. The ants are collected in two stages - the queen ants and their fungus beds. The collected ants are then placed in small pots and transferred to the acrylic structures. Over the next two months, the ants hatch from eggs, become larvae, and then pupae, eventually becoming adults.
The anthill consists of different chambers, each with a specific role. The foraging pan stores fresh and dried vegetables collected by the ants. The fungus garden, which is the main food source for the ants, is cultivated in this chamber. The trash pan is where the ants leave their waste, including old leaves, dry fungus, and dead ants.
The ants in the laboratory have specific roles as well. The queen is responsible for laying eggs. The male ants (bitus) mate with the queen and die soon after. The sterile workers take care of the colony, divided into cutters or loaders who cut the leaves and transport them to the nest, gardeners who take care of the fungi, nurses who are responsible for the eggs, larvae, and all the ants before they are removed, and trash cans that clean the anthill and carry all the trash to a place far from the fungus.
The laboratory also collaborates with ant control firms to control the ants without harming the environment. The ants are used for research, publicity, and public visits. The laboratory also provides advice on organic matters and helps with reforestation projects.
1. The speaker visited the Leafcutter Ant Laboratory in Rio Claro, São Paulo, to understand how a leafcutter anthill works.
2. This visit was part of a failed attempt to create a new anthill at the Manual do Mundo.
3. The ants used for the experiment were collected in Piedade and cared for at Manual do Mundo.
4. The speaker received tips from an emailer, Danilo, who works in myrmecology, the study of ants.
5. The anthill they visited is a large one of a sensational leafhopper at Unesp in Rio Claro.
6. The laboratory's anthill is made of acrylic pots to observe the entire ant society.
7. The ants are collected in two stages: during the flight season (October to December) and five to six months after the flight.
8. The collected ants are placed in small pots before being transferred to acrylic structures.
9. Some ants have already been born in these structures.
10. The collected ants include a queen ant and a bed of fungus.
11. The collected ants are placed in small pots before being transferred to acrylic structures.
12. The anthill room houses one colony, with two giant colonies and about two hundred small ones.
13. The ants in the laboratory are taken care of by a team.
14. The ants in the laboratory are provided with food by the researchers, and their trash is removed once a week.
15. The ants in the laboratory have a well-organized and efficient society, with each ant having a specific role.
16. The queen is responsible for creating the anthill, reproducing, and laying eggs.
17. The males (bitus) mate with the queen and die soon after.
18. The sterile workers take care of the colony and are divided into classes: cutters or loaders, gardeners, nurses, trash cans, and soldiers.
19. The ants cut leaves to feed a fungus and then feed on it.
20. The laboratory researches effective methods of controlling these ants without harming the environment.
21. The laboratory can carry out tests at any time of the year.
22. The laboratory uses the anthills for publicity, maintains them for public visits, and works with ant control firms and companies for reforestation.
23. The laboratory has shown that some ants release a jet of acid.