Quality control during leaf transport in leaf-cutting ants (Atta volleweideri)

For leaf-cutting ants, leaf quality is of paramount importance, as the leaves serve as sole substrate for the fungus that constitutes their nourishment. Cut leaf-fragments are transported on physically maintained trails of up to 200m, and each single worker carries the fragment only for a couple of meters before dropping it on the trail. Eventually, this fragment is picked up by another worker and transported along, closer to the nest.

We addressed the question: What is the biological significance of dropping leaf fragments on the foraging trail, although single workers are well able to carry them the whole length up to the nest. We test the hypothesis that sequential transport is a collective decision-making to select the best available leaf-quality for the colony.