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    Think agriculture is unique to us? Leafcutter ants are phenomenal fungus farmers

    Cultivating food long before hominids even existed, leafcutter ants are among the world’s oldest and most successful farmers. Their colonies are supported by a remarkably complex agricultural process that involves cutting leaves with their mandibles, carrying leaf particles several times their own weight back to their colonies, and harvesting the nutritious fungi that grows on the decaying bits of leaves. Where Are the Ants Carrying All Those Leaves? reveals the leafcutter ants’ incredible agricultural process from beginning to end.

    Producer: Gabriela Quirós

    Website: Deep Look

    25 June 2015
    Macro photo of a red ant’s face showing its mandibles and antennae. The background is blurred to focus on the ant’s detailed features.

    videoEvolution

    Incredible footage captures the ants that transform other species into loyal servants

    5 minutes

    Close-up of a leafcutter ant cutting a vibrant green and pink leaf with distinct veins, showcasing the intricate patterns and the ant’s detailed body.

    videoAnimals and humans

    An artist and ants collaborate on an exhibit of ‘tiny Abstract Expressionist paintings’

    5 minutes

    Colourful digital illustration of cartoon ants on green vegetation in a vibrant forest setting with blue and orange elements.

    videoEvolution

    The longest, most brutal wars on Earth are fought on ant-sized scales

    9 minutes

    Ants forming a bridge with their bodies to connect two adjacent white plastic structures over a green background.

    videoEcology and environmental sciences

    How to maintain infrastructure – the stunning collective intelligence of ant engineers

    1 minute

    Close-up photo of a giant leaf insect camouflaged as green leaves with brown edges perched on a plant, blending with the surroundings.

    videoEvolution

    When is a leaf not a leaf? When it’s got six legs and a face

    4 minutes

    Macro photo of an ant crawling on a green leaf next to two green and brown caterpillars with fuzzy heads.

    videoEvolution

    A cut-throat case of evolutionary backstabbing in the Peruvian rainforest

    3 minutes

    Close-up of a carnivorous plant with red-tipped sticky hairs trapping a tiny insect, against a green blurred background.

    videoBiology

    Cape sundews move, react and attack in a way that seems more animal than plant

    4 minutes

    Close-up photo of an Australian walking stick insect appearing camouflaged while hanging from a green branch

    videoEvolution

    The master-of-disguise creature whose whole life is an elaborate lie

    5 minutes

    A green origami insect on a dark green leaf with a red flower and a vibrant green-and-yellow background with shadowy leaves.

    videoBiology

    Coded vibrations and signal jamming – the secret language of the treehoppers

    5 minutes