Actinobacteria
Guides
Attini
fungus-growing ants, higher myrmicine ants
Attini is a tribe of New World ants renowned for cultivating symbiotic fungi in specialized nest chambers called fungus gardens. This mutualism, dating back approximately 30 million years, represents one of the most complex examples of agriculture outside humans. The ants provision their fungal cultivars with organic substrates including plant material, insect carcasses, and feces, while receiving nutrition from specialized fungal structures. The tribe encompasses diverse foraging strategies, from generalized debris collection to the conspicuous leaf-cutting behavior of Atta and Acromyrmex species. Attini ants maintain intricate associations with additional microbes, including actinobacteria that produce antibiotics protecting the fungal gardens from pathogens.