Leaf-Cutter Ants Obliterate Roses In Mesmerizing Time Lapse Video

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));It took our leaf cutter ants almost 5 hours to break down these rose clippings, but it will only take you 1 minute to see the magic!Posted by Houston Zoo on Friday, January 15, 2016 Leaf-cutter ants make mincemeat of rose clippings in fascinating time lapse footage posted online. The tiny critters at Houston Zoo in Texas completely destroy the plant's pretty pink flowers, green leaves and stems. "It took our leaf-cutter ants almost 5 hours to break down these rose clippings," zoo staff posted to Facebook on Friday. "But it will only take you 1 minute to see the magic!" Leaf-cutter ants, principally found in the southwest of the U.S. and South and Central America, don't eat the plant detritus they collect, the BBC reports.  Instead, they take it to underground farms in the wild to let fungus grow over the segments. They then consume the fungus.  The insects grow to just over half an inch long, and can carry up to 50 times their own body weight. A video posted by Houston Zoo (@houstonzoo) on Oct 19, 2015 at 9:17am PDT Houston Zoo previously posted footage online of its leaf-cutter ants carrying parts of leaves in their enclosure. Scientists say that even thinking abou...

Source: Science - The Huffington Post - January 16, 2016 Category: Science Source Type: news