Leafcutter Ants Live Webcam

Leafcutter Ants Atta cephalotes

This Museum of Science leafcutter ant colony is home to about 100,000 ants. Watch as they harvest leaves for their fungus garden.

Insect Gardeners

Leafcutter ants are gardeners. They do not collect leaves to eat, but instead they use leaves to help grow a fungus that they harvest for food. Both the ants and fungus benefit from this symbiotic relationship that has evolved over millions of years. Leafcutter ants can be found in regions of North, Central, and South America.

Live camera hours:

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Leaf supply times:

9:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. EDT
The ants will be most active during leaf supply times, when they will be cutting and collecting fresh plant material.

Can you find ants cutting the leaves?

Large worker ants cut off small pieces of leaves with their mouthparts.
Do you see large ants standing around?

Some of the largest worker ants stand on guard, ready to protect the colony.
Can you find ants carrying leaves?

Worker ants carry leaf pieces back to the fungus garden.
Do you see tiny ants riding on the leaf pieces?

Small worker ants ride along to protect the leaf-carrying ants from attacks by flies.