Hughes, W.

Wirth, R., Herz, H., Ryel, R.J., Beyschlag, W. & Hölldobler, B. 2003: Herbivory of leaf-cutting ants: A case study of Atta colombica in the tropical rainforest of Panama. – Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 230 pp.

Wirth, R., Herz, H., Ryel, R.J., Beyschlag, W. & HÖLLDOBLER, B. 2003: Herbivory of leaf-cutting ants: A case study of Atta colombica in the tropical rainforest of Panama. – Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 230 pp. Dr. William Hughes, School of Biological Sciences, A12, University of Sydney, Sydney, N.S.W. 2006, Australia. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Few can have visited the Neotropics without marvelling at the huge nest mounds of Atta leaf-cutting ants or the spectacular traffic of thousands of workers along their trails, each proceeding rapidly home with a piece of leaf held like a prize above its head. The leaf-cutting ants have been described as the "dominant herbivores of the Neotropics" (HÖLLDOBLER & Wilson 1990). It is hard to look at their trails and not consider this to be the case. This appears supported by counts of the amount of leaves taken into colonies and the amount of refuse produced. Estimates stemming from…

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