Size
1/16”-1/2”
Color
Reddish-brown
Description
Texas Leaf Cutter Ants feed on a fungus they grow inside the colony’s nest. When starting a new colony, the queen will carry a piece of the colony’s fungus to her new nesting site. As her new colony grows, workers harvest plants near the colony site to cultivate the fungus.
The Texas Leaf Cutter ant is mostly a crop pest. They damage plants by harvesting leaves for their fungus cultivation as well as causing damage to the ground in and around the crops with their large colony nest sites. The Texas Leaf Cutter colony is dug 15 to 20 feet into the ground, pushing soil up to create a mound above with a single entrance. Multiple nest sites may be grouped together, surrounded by large areas of plant destruction. Each colony may contain millions of ants who will travel more than 600 feet in search of food. Worker ants will bite.
Control Advice
Bait traps may reduce colony population. Plants may be treated to discourage ant interest.
Active Seasons
Texas Leaf Cutter ants are most active in spring, summer and fall.