Atta cephalotes
| Latin Name: |  |
Atta cephalotes |
| Trivialname: |  |
Leafcutterant |
| Taxonomy: |  |
Subfamily: Myrmicinae Tribe: Attini |
| Keeping Level: |  |
(3) through their large Space- and Foodrequirements as well as their climateconditions only for experienced antkeepers |
| Distribution: |  |
Southamerica |
| Habitate: |  |
tropical Rainforest |
| Colonyform: |  |
monogyne |
| Queen: |  |
Size: 30mm Colour: redbrown |
| Worker: |  |
Size: 3 - 16mm Colour: shiny redbrown to amber, polymorph |
| Soldier: |  |
18 - 23mm, good developed heads with wooly hair |
| Males: |  |
Size: 20 - 25mm Colour: shiny amber |
| Nutrion: |  |
a home- grown fungus (Leucoagaricus gongylophorus) is cultivated by the workers with the leaves and flowers of Rosaceae plants and fruits. Specific protein bodies to the fungal hyphae are harvested and fed to queen and brood. The administration of sugar or honey Water is recommended potential foodplants are: blackberries, raspberries, roses, boxwood, elderberry, oak, lime-tree, wild wine next to apples, orange, banana, grapes in an emergency also oatflakes It`s recommended to moisten the leaves before feeding. The feeding of sumach leaves should be avoided at all costs, as these are toxic to the fungus. |
| Airhumidity: |  |
Arena: 40 - 70% Nestpart: 50 - 80% Garbagechamber: 30 - 40% |
| Temperature: |  |
Arena: 21 - 28°C Nestpart: 23 - 26°C |
| Hibernation: |  |
no |
| Nestform: |  |
nest in soil |
| Kind of Formicaria: |  |
Farm, Farmbasin, Basin, Framebasin, Island, Acrylcylinder |
| Formicaria size: |  |
Size: XL !!! with growing of the colony a least 3 Basins for Fungus, Feeding and Garbage !!! |
| Substrate: |  |
Farm: - Arena: Potterclay, Perlite, Humus, Sand-Loam |
| Planting: |  |
- |
| Decoration: |  |
- |
| Description: |  |
After Atta sexdens Atta cephalotes is the most abundant Atta Specie in the tropics. Compared to Atta sexdens they avoid grassland and don`t go inside urband areas. |
| Development: |  |
matingflight: with the first summerrains founding: claustral with a piece of fungus from the mothercolony which is first fertilized with droppings of the Queen. A Queen can be up to 15 years old. colonysize: up to 8.000 000 Individuals |
| Quantity: |  |
one fertilized queen with fungus and workers (see selection); brood (depending on the season and development) |
| Weblinks: |  |
- Forum - Reference |
