Ants Farm Other Insects

Long before humans ever planted a seed, some ant species had already mastered the art of agriculture. The famous leafcutter ants of the Americas, for instance, are not herbivores but expert farmers. The leaf fragments they diligently carry back to their nests are not food, but rather compost for their vast, climate-controlled underground gardens. There, they cultivate a specialized fungus that serves as the colony's sole source of nutrition. This is a profound example of symbiosis that evolved over millions of years; the ants cannot survive without their fungal crop, and this particular fungus is found nowhere else in nature, completely dependent on the ants for its survival and propagation.

This agricultural prowess isn't limited to growing fungi. Other ant species have developed a relationship with aphids that is remarkably similar to human livestock ranching. These ants act as shepherds, protecting their flocks of aphids from predators like ladybugs and lacewings. In exchange for this security detail, the ants get to "milk" the aphids. By gently stroking an aphid with their antennae, the ants can induce it to excrete a drop of a sweet, energy-rich liquid called honeydew. The ants' dedication to their livestock can be so complete that they will move the aphids to more lush plant "pastures" and even carry aphid eggs into their own nests to protect them over the winter.