Atta mexicana
Nogales
Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Coordinates: 31.335339, -110.947583
Elevation: 3,998 ft
October 18, 2023
Size: 7 mm
Found an approximately 140 m long line of these ants between a sidewalk and a paved road (W Crawford St). My estimate of the proportion of ants that were carrying leaf pieces is approximately one in ten. The nest entrance was located at the edge of the curb, it didn’t have a mound, and the orifice was approximately 45 mm by 20 mm. Apparently, these ants were defoliating several plant species. Interestingly, there were many piles of abandoned leaf pieces along the length of the trail.
Determined by Salvador Vitanza
Confirmed by James C. Trager