Atta vollenweideri

A fungus growing species that uses grasses for its gardens. Workers transport cut grass along trunk trails and can forage up to 150 m from the nest. Foraging behavior differs by distance from the nest. Larger workers cut grass fragments when far from the nests and smaller workers pick up and transport cut fragments Longer transport distances lead to transport chains with up to 5 different workers moving a single grass clipping. (Röschard and Roces 2003)

Distribution based on Regional Taxon Lists
Neotropical Region: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay.

Nomenclature

 *  vollenweideri. Atta sexdens r. vollenweideri Forel, 1893e: 588 (s.w.q.) ARGENTINA. Forel, 1912e: 179 (m.). Combination in Atta (Neoatta): Gonçalves, 1942: 348; Borgmeier, 1959b: 374; in Atta (Epiatta): Borgmeier, 1950d: 248. Raised to species: Forel, 1912e: 179. Subspecies of laevigata: Forel, 1913l: 237; Emery, 1924d: 354; of sexdens: Emery, 1913bb: 259. Revived status as species: Forel, 1915c: 358; Gallardo, 1916d: 341; Santschi, 1919f: 50; Santschi, 1922b: 363. See also: Borgmeier, 1939: 422; Gonçalves, 1942: 348; Borgmeier, 1959b: 374. Senior synonym of tristis: Borgmeier, 1959b: 374.
 * tristis. Atta vollenweideri var. tristis Santschi, 1919f: 50 (w.) ARGENTINA. Subspecies of sexdens: Borgmeier, 1950d: 253. Junior synonym of vollenweideri: Borgmeier, 1959b: 374.