Forest cultures and leaf cutting ants in Viçosa, State Minas Gerais, Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to enlarge the records of forest species attacked by leaf cutting ants in Viçosa, in the state of Minas Gerais. The rising was accomplished in the Campus of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, being considered only nest active that were cutting and carrying fragments of forest essences. For the study it was evaluated temperature measures and distances of the nest to the attacked tree. As results are observed the occurrence of three quenquém species (Acromyrmex niger Smith, F., 1858, Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans Santschi, 1925 and Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus Forel, 1893) and two saúva species (Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908 and A. laevigata F. Smith, 1858) attacking 14 forest species.