We’re thinking small this Labor Day. Real small. Check out our new Leaf-cutter Ant exhibit!

Leaf-cutter Ants hail from Central and South America. From Mexico in the north all the way down to Argentina in the south.

Leaf-cutter Ants eat fungus that they grow themselves, using cut up leaves as fertilizer. Forager ants will gather leaves and then transport them back to the rest of the colony. You’ll notice that the exhibit has three separate containers. One is where the ants gather the leaves, one is where the colony lives and farms, and one where they bring their waste and rubbish. We’re very excited to have our ants in place for Labor Day. Come by Eat and Be Eaten to watch them in action.

On September 19, we open a double gallery of macro-photographs featuring Entomologist Mark Moffett’s large-scale prints of ants going about their business. The pictures will be displayed in our 3rd and 4th floor hallway galleries.

Neat video from 1937 about ant farming:

Neat video from 1950 about ant research:

Obligatory Dave Matthews song break: