Ants That Grow Their Own Food

In the picture

1. 1Ants cut crescent-shaped pieces from a leaf with their jaws.
2. 2They carry the leaf pieces down into their nest.
3. 3The leaves are chewed into a soft compost bed.
4. 4A fungus grows on the bed, and the ants eat it.

Examples

• A gardener mixes compost into the soil so vegetables grow well.
• Mushroom farms grow mushrooms on beds of straw and compost.

Quiz: Ants That Grow Their Own Food (Age 11)

1. 1

   What do leafcutter ants do with the leaf pieces they cut?

   • They eat them, because leaves are their main food
   • They use them to build the walls of their underground nest
   • They chew them into a compost bed where a fungus grows
2. 2

   If all the fungus in a leafcutter ant nest died, what would happen?

   • The ants would lose the only food their colony eats
   • The ants would start eating the leaf pieces instead
   • The ants would be fine because they also hunt small insects
3. 3

   Why do scientists say leafcutter ants are farmers?

   • They plant seeds and grow new trees near their nest
   • They grow their own food on a bed they make from leaves
   • They collect leaves and store them to eat in winter

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.