Bug FAQTexas Leafcutter Ant
Atta texana · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Formicidae
Also called: Texas Leaf-cutter Ant, Texas leafcutting ant
Source: Wikipedia
Workers range from about 3 mm to 18 mm and show strong size differences within a colony. They build nests in well-drained sandy or loamy soils and are found in Texas, Louisiana, and northeastern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
They have a narrow waist, a rusty-brown body, and three pairs of spines on the back of the thorax.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Workers measure between 3 mm and 18 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Large supercolonies can become a nuisance for people living nearby.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Nests are constructed in well-drained, sandy or loamy soil.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They cut and collect leaves from more than 200 different plant species.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The queen lays eggs that hatch into cream-colored larvae. After several molts the larvae spin a silky cocoon, pupate, and emerge as adult ants.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In spring some larvae develop into winged males and females up to 18 mm long. Nuptial flights occur at night, with virgin queens and males taking off together.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs in Texas, Louisiana, and northeastern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Its close relative Atta mexicana has a larger queen and only one queen per colony, whereas A. texana may have multiple queens.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do Texas leafcutter ants look like?
They are rusty-brown with a narrow waist and three pairs of spines on the thorax.
Source: Wikipedia
What plants are affected by these ants?
They harvest leaves from over 200 plant species, damaging gardens and crops.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Formicidae)
Eastern Black Carpenter AntCamponotus pennsylvanicusCan damage your home
Red Imported Fire AntSolenopsis invictaCan sting
American Winter AntPrenolepis imparis
Argentine AntLinepithema humileNuisance, not dangerous
Immigrant Pavement AntTetramorium immigransCan sting
Odorous House AntTapinoma sessileCan damage your homeSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_leafcutter_ant
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.