Atta mexicana
| Latin Name: |  |
Atta mexicana |
| Trivialname: |  |
Leafcutterant |
| Taxonomy: |  |
Subfamily: Myrmicinae Tribe: Attini |
| Keeping Level: |  |
(3) due to the high feed and space requirements, as well as the special kilma conditions only for advanced keepers |
| Distribution: |  |
from Mexico up to Arizona |
| Habitat: |  |
subtropics |
| Colonyform: |  |
monogyne |
| Queen: |  |
Size: 30mm Colour: reddish brown |
| Worker: |  |
Size: 3 - 16mm Colour: reddish brown, polymorph |
| Soldier: |  |
18 - 23mm, |
| Males: |  |
Size: 20 - 25mm Colour: shiny amber |
| Nutrition: |  |
a home-grown fungus (Leucoagaricus gongylophorus) that is cultivated by the workers with the leaves and flowers of rose plants as well as fruits. Special protein bodies on the fungal hyphae are harvested and fed to queen and brood. The feeding of sugar solution, honey or honey water is recommended. In addition, fresh water (or water gel) should always be available. Possible forage plants are: Blackberry, raspberry, roses, boxwood, privet, elder, lime, wild vine besides apple, orange, banana, grapes in case of emergency also oatmeal. Important: any feed must be free of pesticides or fungicides. It is advisable to spray feed leaves with water before feeding. Important: please never spray water directly on the fungus. |
| Airhumidity: |  |
Arena: 40 - 70% Nestpart: 80 - 90% waste chamber: 30 - 40% |
| Temperature: |  |
Arena: 21 - 28°C Nestpart: 24 - 28°C |
| Hibernation: |  |
no |
| Nestform: |  |
nests in soil with many small chambers |
| Kind of Formicaria: |  |
Starter Set Leafcutter large, Starter Set Leafcutter small, Starter Set Leafcutter cylinder, 3 seperate tanks (Important: Leafcutter ants always need a feeding chamber, a mushroom chamber and a waste chamber). |
| Formicaria size: |  |
Size: XL !!! with growing of the colony a least 3 Basins for Fungus, Feeding and Waste !!! |
| Substrate: |  |
Mushroom chamber: substrate rainforest, formicarium granules Feeding chamber: preferably no substrate or as in mushroom chamber Waste chamber: preferably no substrate or as in mushroom chamber |
| Planting: |  |
- |
| Decoration: |  |
- |
| Description: |  |
Atta mexicana is a very adaptable leafcutterant which also tolerates cooler temperatures.In the urban areas of Mexico sometimes the most common leafcutterant. Important information for shipping: The queen can play dead or fall into a kind of rigidity in case of danger or stress, about 3h at room temperature and rest will help here. |
| 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 |
