Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Part of our Scientific Interest area. This section is for contributions to Leaf Cutting Ants taxonomy. This may be photographs, descriptions, identification keys, discussion about species level characteristics etc.
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Acromyrmexbob
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Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Wed Dec 02, 2015 11:50 pm

OK, not sure this is technically in its correct home here but its a pet hate of mine and I wanted to put this out there.

I have always referred to Leaf Cutting Ants as Leaf Cutting Ants. Others, I think mainly in America, call them Leaf Cutter Ants.
Personally I think the following nomenclature should be adopted but I am open to your abuse, criticism and ridicule regarding this.
From a simple english correctness the term should either be Leaf Cutters or Leaf Cutting Ants. You could not say Leaf Cuttings and it makes no sense to say Leaf Cutter Ants which is why I either call them Leaf Cutting Ants or Leaf Cutters.
I know, its sad, but there you are!

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Deansie26
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Re: Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by Deansie26 » Thu Dec 03, 2015 1:39 pm

lol, has this annoyed you the older you get?
Last edited by Deansie26 on Fri Dec 11, 2015 1:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Fri Dec 04, 2015 7:50 pm

A lot of things annoy me the older I get!!

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Leafcutter
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Re: Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by Leafcutter » Sun Jan 17, 2016 12:04 pm

Also Andrew, you seem to always spell A. octospinosus with an 'i' instead of a 'u'? Is that just a synonym?

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Camponotus detritus (2018)
Camponotus maculatus (2018)

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Sun Jan 17, 2016 12:08 pm

Its a bad habit and stems back a few years when I was creating 'clever' passwords for accessing emails etc. I spelled all of them with an 'i' then realised that I was writing octospinosus with an i all the time. Embarrassing but what can you do. I thought about acting as if everyone else was stupid and that it always should have been an 'i' but I think that approach was destined to failure. So now I have actually got to consciously remember to write it with a 'u' and so many times I remember after I have sent something or posted it. So frustrating. Just remember its octospinosus regardless of what I write. So annoying.

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Sat Mar 19, 2016 9:37 pm

Acromyrmexbob wrote:OK, not sure this is technically in its correct home here but its a pet hate of mine and I wanted to put this out there.

I have always referred to Leaf Cutting Ants as Leaf Cutting Ants. Others, I think mainly in America, call them Leaf Cutter Ants.
Personally I think the following nomenclature should be adopted but I am open to your abuse, criticism and ridicule regarding this.
From a simple english correctness the term should either be Leaf Cutters or Leaf Cutting Ants. You could not say Leaf Cuttings and it makes no sense to say Leaf Cutter Ants which is why I either call them Leaf Cutting Ants or Leaf Cutters.
I know, its sad, but there you are!
I would be interested in some of the members who have joined since this post went up and what they think of this?

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Re: Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by Formica123 » Sat Mar 19, 2016 9:38 pm

Leaf cutting ants - it sounds way better
I keep over 20 species of ant, inc. Acromyrmex Octospinosus
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Deansie26
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Re: Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by Deansie26 » Sat Mar 19, 2016 9:39 pm

It doesn't bother me either way, but in your position I can understand why it would Andrew

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Bitterlime
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Re: Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by Bitterlime » Sun Mar 20, 2016 11:13 am

I use both! if I'm talking about ants then I will say leaf cutter but if I'm writing I will use leaf cutting ants!

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Re: Leaf Cutters v's Leaf Cutting Ants

Post by RichardP » Sun Mar 20, 2016 5:08 pm

Oddly enough, there was a question on Pointless recently (tv programme) and one of the answers was "Leaf Cutter Ants". I thought it was odd at the time.

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