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| Atta laevigata | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A. laevigata worker | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Formicidae |
| Subfamily: | Myrmicinae |
| Genus: | Atta |
| Species: | A. laevigata |
| Binomial name | |
| Atta laevigata | |
Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858) is one of about a dozen species of leafcutter ants in the genusAtta, found fromVenezuela and south toParaguay. This species is one of the largestleafcutter species, and can be recognized by the smooth and shining head of the largest workers in a colony.Atta laevigata is known in northernSouth America ashormiga culona (literally translated as "big-assed ant"), or assikisapa in Peru,zompopo de mayo in Central America,bachaco culón in Venezuela,akango in Paraguay, andchicatana in Mexico.[2][3] InBrazil they are known as "saúva-cabeça-de-vidro" (literally "glass-headed saúva"), withsaúva being the common name for allAtta ants.[4]
The colony sizes of these ants are made up of around 3.5 million individuals.[5]
Thehormiga culona has been eaten for hundreds (if not thousands) of years, as a tradition inherited frompre-colonial cultures such as theGuanes. The ants are harvested for about nine weeks during the rainy season every year, at the time when they make theirnuptial flight.A. laevigata are used as traditional gifts in weddings. There are local superstitions and beliefs regarding the ants asaphrodisiacs.[6]
The harvesting is done by local workers, who are often bitten by the ants with their strongmandibles. Only thequeen ants are collected, as the other ants within a colony are not considered edible. Thelegs andwings are removed, at which point the ants are soaked in salty water, before being roasted in ceramic pans. The main centers of production forhormigas culonas are the municipalities ofSan Gil andBarichara. From there, the trade of the ants is extended toBucaramanga andBogotá, where the packages containing ants are often seen during the rainy season. The primary exporting of the product is toCanada,England andJapan.[citation needed]
Analyses conducted at theIndustrial University of Santander, on the nutritional value of the ants,[7] show high levels ofprotein, very low levels ofsaturated fat, and an overall decent nutritional value.[citation needed]
Atta laevigata is a temporary source of income for the poorer people of the department. The harvesting of the ant queens (as well as the competition for resources with more aggressive species of leafcutter-ants/"arrieras") causes a progressive decrease of the ant populations, as estimated in recent studies;[8] according to observations, only a sixth of the ant population of twelve years ago exists today, and for this reason, there is concern about the species' future.[citation needed]
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