Kim Taylor / Bachacs / Leafcutter ants {Atta cephalotes} carrying sections of Cocoa leaf bearing 'riders' thought to ward off parasitic flies which would otherwise lay their eggs on the pieces of leaf. Trinidad, W...

Solvin Zankl / Close up of ant (Cephalotes clypeatus) Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Solvin Zankl / Leaf cutter ant (Atta cephalotes ) close-up. Specimen photographed using digital focus stacking

Piotr Naskrecki / Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) worker on leaf protecting larger workers carrying leaf from parasitoid flies, Costa Rica

Jouan & Rius / Leaf cutting ants (Atta cephalotes) cutting pieces of leaf, rainforest habitat, Costa Rica

Kim Taylor / Bachacs / Leaf-cutting ants {Atta cephalotes} carrying leaf sections back to nest. Trinidad, West Indies also ocurrs in South America

Mark Moffett / Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) workers carrying leaves to nest, French Guiana

Mark Moffett / Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) workers carrying leaves to nest, French Guiana

Mark Moffett / Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) workers carrying leaves to nest, French Guiana

Mark Moffett / Leafcutter Ant (Atta cephalotes) workers carrying leaves back to nest, Barro Colorado Island, Panama

PREMAPHOTOS / Leaf cutting ants returning to nest carrying pieces of leaf (Atta cephalotes) tropical rainforest, Costa Rica

PREMAPHOTOS / Leafcutter ants cutting pieces of leaf. (Atta cephalotes) tropical rainforest, Costa Rica