Question
Where does Atta laevigata live and where can they be found? Thank you for taking time to answer my question.
Answer
<DIV>Dear Alice:<BR><BR>Leaf-cutter ants of the species <EM>Atta laevigata</EM> can be found in many tropical habitats of South America, including portions of Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, and Paraguay. This species is sometimes called the Venezuelan Leaf-Cutting Ant due to the fact that it is fairly common in many forested and agricultural areas of that country, and is often treated as a crop pest by fruit growers there. <BR><BR>If you were looking for these ants in Venezuela, all you would usually see on the surface is a line of ants walking across the ground, usually traveling in two directions. Ants traveling in one direction would be using their jaws to carry a piece of leaf over their heads. These are ants going toward the nest. Often a smaller ant can be seen riding on top of the leaf, guarding it from attack by parasites. If you follow these leaf-carrying ants, you would eventually see the whole line of them disappear into the ground. If you dug down usually several feet under ground, you would find an amazing kind of farm. They don't eat the leaves. Instead, they crush them up and use them as
