Leafcutter ant (Atta cephalotes)

Short answers

Leafcutter ant: How big does the enclosure need to be?

Nest chambers plus a foraging area, together from 100×50×50 cm.

Leafcutter ant: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 25–28 °C, at night no drop needed.

Leafcutter ant: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Not required.

Leafcutter ant: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: queen 15–20 years.

Leafcutter ant: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Experts).

Climate

Daytime temperature

25–28 °C

Night temperature

no drop needed

Humidity

70–90 % throughout

UVB

Not required

Enclosure

Minimum size

nest chambers plus a foraging area, together from 100×50×50 cm

Substrate

Several fungus chambers, a separate feeding arena

Feeding

Food

Fresh, unsprayed leaves in large quantities

Feeding interval

fresh leaves daily, and a great deal once the colony grows

Key facts

Adult size

worker 2–16 mm, queen 25–30 mm

Life expectancy

queen 15–20 years

Origin

Central and South America

Protection status

—

Brumation

No — active all year round

Cohabitation

Keep as a colony, one per enclosure. These animals naturally live in groups and cope poorly alone. Never combine two colonies - foreign individuals are not readily accepted but fought. Watch food and humidity as the colony grows.

Notes

Like Acromyrmex, but on a different scale: a mature colony processes considerable quantities of leaves daily and needs several chambers. The leaf supply in winter is where most attempts at keeping it fail — work it out honestly beforehand.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

Look for Leafcutter ant (Atta cephalotes) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Asian carpenter ant (Camponotus nicobarensis) – Beginner
• Leafcutter ant (Acromyrmex octospinosus) – Experts
• Nylander's acorn ant (Temnothorax nylanderi) – Beginner
• European fire ant (Manica rubida) – Intermediate
• Brown-black carpenter ant (Camponotus ligniperda) – Intermediate
• Harvester ant (Messor barbarus) – Beginner
• Yellow meadow ant (Lasius flavus) – Beginner
• Silky field ant (Formica fusca) – Beginner

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Leafcutter ant (Atta cephalotes) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (nest chambers plus a foraging area, together from 100×50×50 cm), substrate (Several fungus chambers, a separate feeding arena), a heat source with a thermostat, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.