Atta (ant)
| Atta | |
|---|---|
| Queen of A. colombica | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Tribe: | Attini |
| Genus: | Atta Fabricius, 1805 |
| Type species | |
| Atta cephalotes | |
| Diversity | |
| 17 species | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Atta is a genus of New World ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae. It contains at least 17 known species.
Atta leafcutter ants are relatively large, rusty red or brown in colour, and have a spiny body and long legs. The three main castes within a nest are the queen, worker, and soldier. Only the queens and males have wings (alate), and these ants are also known as reproductives or swarmers. Although most of the ants in the nest are female, only the queens produce eggs. Queens are usually over 20 millimetres (25⁄32 in) long.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.