Wisconson Science Festival 17-20th October 2019

[Acromyrmexbob]

Saturday10/1910:00 am - 3:00 pm
Visit the Currie lab’s large leaf-cutter ant colony in the UW-Madison Microbial Sciences Building to learn about these amazing insects! Observe the ants cutting and carrying leaves to feed the symbiotic fungus they farm in underground chambers. Watch the ants raise their young and weed their fungus. Plus, learn how we can discover new antibiotics, improve our understanding of basic biology, and contribute to biofuel research by studying these insects. Visitors can observe our display colony, play a game to experience the challenges of forming a successful leaf-cutter ant colony, and learn how to collect ants in their own backyards.



https://wisconsinsciencefest.org/event/ ... -colony-2/

[Atta solider]

Andrew that's sound really good and in the pic what so of leaf cutter are they. They look amazing

[Acromyrmexbob]

Thats Atta cephalotes bicolor from Panama. Its a subspecies of cephalotes only found in a small locality. They were once referred to as Atta cephalotes isthmicola but I cant find them under that name any more. I have been trying to get a permit for Panama but it is really difficult. Must be the nicest looking leaf cutter!

[Atta solider]

They are Andrew great two part colour. would love sp of them.

[Acromyrmexbob]

Or, if you've got a few days and a good magnifying glass, you could decorate the workers of a normal cephalotes colony. I think I would go for yellow abdomens and pink dots. Should be possible with a good paint brush and a steady hand!! We should start a competition!

[Atta solider]

Lmao they would look like they have chicken spots but pink

[earthtiger]

Thats Atta cephalotes bicolor from Panama. Its a subspecies of cephalotes only found in a small locality.

As far as I know, the bicolor is just a pet trade name (I know the two guys, who brought that name up) and not an official described subspecies => I would write it Atta cephalotes "bicolor"

[Acromyrmexbob]

The correct name is (was?) Atta cephalotes isthmicola, a subspecies of Atta cephalotes. Bicolor is not part of their formal description but works well. I found them with this name a few years ago on the internet and in literature but struggle now, perhaps they have been reclassified. The whole taxonomy of many different genera of vertbrates and invertebrates is in flux as new methodology is used to separate and combine them; the name they are called one month is not what they are the next. Its a full time job keeping up.

[earthtiger]

Bicolor is not part of their formal description but works well.

it works, but Atta bicolor or Atta cephalotes bicolor are just pet trade names. In the scientific world they would be called nomen nudum, because there is no formal description of a species or subspecies with such a name.

To my knowledge, this name was created by Thies Schubert and Detlef Ollesch. In 2008, they found some Atta cephalotes with dark to black body in an small area in Costa Rica. They found this variaton only in coffee plantation. They introduced it with the name "bicolor" into the pet trade.

[Acromyrmexbob]

Of course this subspecies has been known for a lot longer than 2008. There is literature on it from many years ago. It is the most beautiful Atta though, I think, if a little disappointing in the flesh. But with the correct light, as you say, the photos are fantastic!!