History of Atta in zoos

Acromyrmexbob · Post by **Acromyrmexbob** » Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:31 am

The article below was written by Randy Morgan circa 2001.

The display potential of Atta was first recognized in 1938 when the Bronx Zoo temporarily displayed a live colony (Ditmars, 1938). By 1991, at least 21 organizations in North America and Europe showcased Atta, and by 2001 this increased to more than 50 institutions including zoos, museums, science centers and universities (Morgan 2001). The rapidly growing popularity of leaf-cutting ant displays has been fueled largely by the ants’ remarkable biology, especially their astonishing behavior of actively cutting and carrying countless leaf fragments along organized trails back to their nests. Six species of Atta have been exhibited: A. cephalotes, colombica, laevigata, mexicana, sexdens and texana.