A few months ago there was a thread about leaf-cutter ants. Here's
something new about them from the Yucatan. Such ants can usually be
seen busily at work in Bustamante Canyon. I don't recall seeing them
in Texas, but I wouldn't be surprised if some were found in the
valley. -- Mixon
JIM CONRADS NATURALIST NEWSLETTER
Issued from Hacienda Chichén beside the Maya ruin of
Chichén Itzá in the central Yucatán, MÉXICO
January 17, 2010
**********
RETURN OF THE LEAFCUTTER ANTS
The owners of Hacienda Chichen are justly proud of their pro-
environment policies, which includes using as few
chemicals as possible. The other day a worker not yet
clear about the policy poisoned a large leafcutter
nest because the ants had begun defoliating a Tropical
Almond tree in the parking lot. As soon as we saw what
had been done we made every effort to scoop all the
poison and contaminated soil into plastic bags and
dispose of the bags properly.
Before the poisoning attempt, every day I'd seen the
ants carrying bits of herbage back to their nest.
However, after the poisoning for two weeks not a
single ant was seen at the nest. I felt sure that the
whole colony had been wiped out. It had been a colony
as large as the one we saw last year at Yokdzenot. You
still can read about that big nest and see it at
http://www.backyardnature.net/yucatan/ant-lfcu.htm
Wednesday morning, there were ants again. Moreover,
not only had the colony resumed its earlier foraging
habits, but also they seemed to have redoubled their
efforts, for now many more ants than before were
carrying cut-out leaf sections and they were moving
faster. Anthropomorphically, they looked exactly as if
they were trying to make up for lost time! You can see
several on the trunk of a Gumbo-Limbo -- which after
two days they'd defoliated nearly completely -- at
http://www.backyardnature.net/n/10/100117lc.jpg
That picture was made about 30 yards or meters from
their nest and every inch of the trail between there
and the nest was just as cluttered and bustling with
leaf-carrying ants as in the picture.
Of course I'm relieved that the nest seems to have
survived. Sometimes visitors say that for them
watching the ants is as fascinating as visiting the
ruins! Also the experience has reminded me how like a
single living organism an ant colony is. The colony
became sick, stopped functioning, but then one day
finally burst from home looking as healthy as ever,
trying to make up for lost time. In fact, they're out
there as I type this, a long, long line of them,
gradually defoliating a hibiscus.
***********
Best wishes to all Newsletter Readers.
Jim
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