acromyrmex octospinosus

A mature Acromyrmex octospinosus colony has a relatively small colony size of approximately 50,000 ants, mostly sterile female workers.

Foundresses of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex octospinosus forage for leaves as garden substrate (semi-claustral foundation).

Wetterer, J. K. (1991) Foraging ecology of the leaf-cutting ant Acromyrmex octospinosus in a Costa Rican rain forest.

For example, Acromyrmex octospinosus ant harvest huge quantities of foliage, so they have become agricultural pests on the various Caribbean islands where they have been introduced, such as Guadeloupe.

Fernandez-Marin, H., J. K. Zimmermann, and W. T. Wcislo (2003) Nest-founding in Acromyrmex octospinosus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Attini): demography and putative prophylactic behaviors.