Page 116 - It Can't Be True! Animals! - Unbelievable Facts About Amazing Animals (DK)

116

How big is an

ant colony?

Leafcutter ants in Brazil built one of the biggest

insect colonies ever found. Descending 8 m (26 ft)

underground, this sprawling subterranean

shelter covered an area of 45 sq m (500 sq ft).

Tunnels form a network of main
routes and side routes connecting
to chambers deep underground.

A colony that was once home to
millions of leafcutter ants in Brazil was
investigated in 2010 by insect experts. They
filled the tunnels with 10 tonnes of concrete, let
it set hard, then dug out the surrounding earth
to reveal the incredible size of this ant kingdom.

Waste chambers around the edge of the colony
are used to store waste material, including
mould, dead ants, and harmful parasites.

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