Atta spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Acromyrmex spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Atta spp differ from the Acromyrmex spp because they are larger, have three pairs of spines on the back of the thorax and have their nests composed of a varied number of chambers interconnected by channels. Acromyrmex spp are smaller ants than Atta spp, have four pairs of spines on the back of the thorax and have small anthills and usually formed of a single chamber.

Ants cut the plants leaves, especially newly planted seedlings in the field, delaying the development or even causing their death. This is the critical phase of its occurrence, since it can induce the replanting of a significant number of seedlings.

The fight against leaf-cutting ants in coffee plantations should be preventive and more intense in the period before the implantation of the crops, and should be done in a systematic way. It can be done using toxic baits or using gaseous ant killers or direct thermomist always aiming at the destruction of the anthill where the queen is.The control with the use of granulated ant baits has been shown to be efficient and low cost. They should be applied at dusk, in a dry place and protected from humidity.