Comments on: Leafcutter ants rely on bacteria to fertilise their fungus gardens

By: Starry Night

Starry Night — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:20:44 +0000

You can find fascinating video on leaf cutter ants at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RH3KYBMpxOU

By: Razia

Razia — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:47:51 +0000

I was so happy to learn about leaf cutter ants and fungus,actually I had a project on leafcutter ants and so thing really helped me alot!!!!
Thanks

By: DD

DD — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:42:12 +0000

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-12/fm-bgs120109.php

By: Briana

Briana — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:02:20 +0000

What’s most fascinating about these guys is, as far as I know, their “gardening” is based on instinctual behavior and not a thought process. Wish I could do that…

By: DD

DD — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:45:35 +0000

Flora domesticate (select) fauna to distribute CO2 for carbon uptake in tissue construction, since carbonic acid would burn roots. (humid trop rainforest has little wind so selects for insect/bird/bat flight)
Fauna domesticate bacteria to encapsulate N in cut flora because N2 in air won’t decompose w/o enzyme catalysis.
Fungi digest flora carbohydrates to emit CO2 & H2O & N2 ?

By: Larry Ayers

Larry Ayers — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:33:42 +0000

Nicely-written summary, Ed! I’ve long had a fondness for insect agriculturists and thus I was pleased to learn more about leaf-cutter biology.