ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors suggest that the lack of correlation shown in published excavations are either due to inexact estimates of worker populations or, more probably, to seasonal effects. Colony dimensions probably reach their maximum during the pre-revoada yearly phase after which colony populations decline. Colony densities of leaf-cutting ants, as ascertained from the author’s data and the published literature, vary widely probably in response to local habitats. Colony-founding is an extremely important aspect in understanding the ecology of the ants, yet we know very little about Attatexana queens are known to fly 10.5 km, A. cephalotes 9.6 km, and A. sexdensrubropilosa 11 km. The number of sexuals produced in colonies of Acromyrmex and Atta is highly variable, and little is known about the factors that favor the production of males and gynes. The growth of incipient colonies of various species of Atta has been investigated by M. Autuori, F. A. M. Mariconi, and V. Pereira-da-Silva.
