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Leafcutter ants retire when they grow old
Leaf-cutter ants «retire» from their cutting role when they grow old, switching to carrying when their jaws blunt with age.
Leaf-cutter ants start their lives with razor-like jaws, or mandibles, to cut through the leaves they harvest. But as these «wear out», the insects tend to carry the leaves cut by their younger counterparts. The findings suggest that individual ants can extend their useful lifespan as their skills decline. They are reported in the journal Behaviour Ecology and Sociobiology.
The US-based scientists discovered that older ants were significantly less efficient at cutting leaves.
A close-up shot of a leafcutter ant – Jeff Cremer –
They estimated these older colony members’ «worn-out teeth» halved the speed at which the entire colony was able to harvest leaves.
The researchers, from the University of Oregon and the Oregon State University, support previous research showing the survival of a leaf-cutter colony depends on the efficiency of its workers. The leaf disks collected by the forager ants are transported back to the colony where the sap can be harvested for food. The gathered leaves are also used as a surface to grow the fungus that is consumed by the colony.
«Cutting leaves is hard work,» explains the University of Oregon’s Dr. Robert Schofield, who led the study.

A leafcutter ant carrying a leaf – Jeff Cremer
Much of the cutting is done with a V-shaped blade between teeth on their mandibles. This blade starts out as sharp as the sharpest razor blade that humans have developed. It is believed that leaf-cutter ants’ mandibles also contain zinc-enriched biomaterials, which strengthen them. Over time, however, these razor-sharp blades become blunt and less efficient.
The ants cut the leaves with a V-shaped blade on their jaw.
The researchers measured the wear on the mandible cutting blade in the ant species Atta cephalotes from a colony in Soberania National Park, Panama. Dr. Schofield and his team used electron microscopy to compare the pristine teeth of laboratory-reared pupae with the worn teeth of the wild forager ants.
By comparing the radius of the mandible teeth they found the blade of a cutter ant to be 340 times duller than the pristine blade of a pupa.
The study revealed that leaf-cutter ants with highly worn mandibles had difficulties cutting and anchoring leaves. Individuals with the most worn teeth, which had less than 10% of the cutting blade, exclusively carried leaves rather than cut them.
The team estimated that, because of this age-related wear, a colony spent twice the energy cutting leaves than it would if all the ants had sharp mandibles. The findings support the idea that wear and fracture can be significant problems for insects as well as larger animals.
Greater good
«This study demonstrates an advantage of social living that we are familiar with,» says Dr. Schofield. Humans that can no longer do certain tasks can still make very worthwhile contributions to society. Leaf-cutter ants live in colonies that have a very developed structure with a strict hierarchy. This level of social organization is described as eusocial.
As well as benefiting the colony, the researchers believe that this ability to change jobs may also lead to longer life spans in social insects compared to their solitary cousins.
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9306000/9306830.stm
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We stayed last february for 4 nights in the TRC lodge. I never could have imagined that I would explore the amazon in such confortable and immersive way. The lodge itself is such a luxurious place, in the middle of nowhere! The food was nicely curated everyday to offer new bits and pieces of the Peruvian cuisine. The absolute highlight of our stay here was for sure the activities and our guide Carmen, who accompanied us everyday! We were able to choose our everydays activities with our very reduced group and our guide. Carmen guided us on very activity, spotting and explaining what animals we saw and interesting facts about our surroundings. Her knowledge and excitement were so infectious that it would even make the sightings even more special! Read all
One of the most unique experiences we’ve had! You are deep in the heart of the Amazon and truly feel immersed in nature. Our guide Dino was awesome and taught us so much about the rainforest-he is like a walking encyclopedia, and his love for the forest really shows. Also very unique to listen to nightly talks from the research team-it really adds to the experience. Food was great and staff very friendly. Bring lots of bug spray and an adventurous spirit! Read all
The lodge was fantastic; they were very attentive to our needs. The dining staff brought special bread for my wife because of her celiac disease and offered to prepare dishes specifically for her to meet her dietary needs. The lodge guides were truly knowledgeable and went out of their way to help us see all the local wildlife. I especially loved the mosquito net service they provided. I was worried we’d be eaten alive, but their setup is fabulous; I had no concerns once I saw how they installed the impenetrable nets and curtains. The meals were as good as—or better than—anywhere else we ate in Peru. We saw the following animals: macaws, parrots, parakeets, pale-winged trumpeters, tamarins, caimans, capybaras, and a ton of insects on our night hike. Read all
We had an excellent guide who was very knowledgeable about the local animals, birds, and plants. I learned a lot. We also participated in the Wired Amazon experience and just received the video clips of the animals that walked by - ocelots, agoutis, ... some amazing animals. It was fun to set up the camera traps, and now I'm inspired to get one for our backyard. Read all
Refugio Amazonas was one of the most memorable and immersive experiences of our entire trip to Peru. From the moment we arrived, it felt like we had entered a completely different world. Waking up to the sounds of the rainforest, exploring the Amazon with knowledgeable guides, spotting wildlife, and disconnecting from everyday life created an experience we will never forget. The guides and staff were exceptional throughout our stay. Everyone was warm, welcoming, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about the rainforest and the guest experience. Their enthusiasm and expertise added so much to every excursion and activity. For this type of Amazon adventure, Refugio Amazonas felt top-tier. The wildlife experiences were remarkable, the setting was beautiful, and the overall level of immersion was exactly what we were hoping for when we added the Amazon to our Peru itinerary. Read all
Wow what an experience! If you want to be fully immersed in Amazon life in a wonderful , comfortable eco lodge, and not have expectations of a 5 star city hotel (I'm not sure why you would, but some reviewers seemed disappointed it wasn't!) you will love this. You will be in a group, 6 in ours, but you don't all have to do the same activities, you just join another group. Plenty of spaces to chill and downtime if you need it...its hot and humid! There's a fan in the room and I heard the superior rooms have a fan under the mozzie net. Take a torch! We were never bitten, used deet repellent only. They provide rubber boots if you want them, some of the trails were very muddy, but we managed in our walking boots. We loved the open wall to the jungle, despite some bugs, but not too many surprisingly. Sooooo much wildlife, all sorts of monkeys, otters, turtles, caiman, different birds, capybara etc. Luis M was our guide, a local, and he could spot a spider from 5 metres I'm sure... great sense of humour and a wealth of knowledge, loved him. We spent 3 nights 20th-24th April, it rained on a couple of occasions but not much. Perfect holiday for an immersive wildlife experience! Read all
Beautiful lodge in the rainforest, very well maintained and clean. We had a lot of fun and excellent guides. The rooms and facilities were top-notch! Read all
We stayed at Posada Amazonas Lodge in May 2026, and it was a truly unique experience. It’s important to note that the concept is unlike a traditional hotel: the rooms (the lodge has around 30 in total) are built entirely of wood and open completely to the rainforest, with no windows. The walls are about two meters high, and everything is open-air, meaning you can hear your neighbors as well as the sounds of the forest throughout the night. There is a hot-water shower with drainage flowing through wooden beams beneath the floor, and the beds are protected with mosquito nets. The food is delicious and nutritious, and one pleasant surprise was the excellent Wi-Fi connection (Starlink) available both at the lodge and on the boats. The logistics are flawless from the moment you land in Puerto Maldonado, including a short car ride (accompanied by a security company) followed by a forty-minute cruise along the Tambopata River. The staff is incredibly friendly. Our guide, Luis M. (a member of the local community that manages the lodge), was simply outstanding, with eagle-eyed vision for spotting wildlife and always wearing a smile. Tour highlights: Canopy Tower: a 42-meter tower rising above the treetops with panoramic views. We loved seeing the river, the rainforest, and even the distant Andes Mountains on the horizon. We returned at night during a nocturnal wildlife tour, where we spotted tarantulas, white sloths, and tree frogs. Lake Tres Chimbadas: a peaceful catamaran ride (without a motor) where Luis showed us a group of red-bellied monkeys, giant otters, and caimans. The scenery and tranquility are incredible. Trek to the “Great Tree”: a forest hike where we saw deer, jaguar tracks, a three-toed sloth, and more wildlife. At the end of the trail, we reached the gigantic ceiba tree: around 500 years old, approximately 60 meters tall, and with an impressive 11-meter base diameter. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience the true Amazon! Read all
An exceptional experience that truly exceeded all expectations. What impressed me the most is that here they genuinely want to make your stay as comfortable as possible — and that, to me, is what real high-level service is all about. The guide really tries to fill every excursion with emotions and memorable moments, turning simple activities into meaningful experiences. The kitchen team puts great effort into variety and introduces you to Peruvian cuisine — it feels like a small гастрономic journey. Housekeeping works like invisible bees — you don’t notice them, but everything is always perfectly taken care of. Another big highlight is the comfort level: stable electricity and surprisingly good internet both on the way and at the lodge, powered by Starlink. Having this level of connectivity in the middle of the jungle is something truly special. From reception and the bar to the boat driver — everyone is genuinely warm and happy to have you. You can really feel that each person is a small but important part of one big system delivering outstanding eco-tourism service. Bravo — achieving this level of service in the wild is not easy, and it shows. This experience was very valuable for me and my family. I won’t get tired of thanking you for the emotions you gave us. Highly recommended. Dear travelers — don’t hesitate. Go, enjoy the incredible nature and the level of service. This is something you will remember for a lifetime. Read all
We had the most amazing time at Refugio Amazonas for 3 nights, with a huge thanks to our guide Juan Carlos! On the first afternoon we sat down and planned our activities, which we loved! We came face to face with hundreds of birds, tarantulas, leaf carrying ants spanning 10 meter motorways to work and deliver the leaves to the ant house for food, parasites, and even leaves that cause natural dyes on oxidation - we learned so much. Carlos was genuinly interested in showing us everything the jungle had to offer, humorous and caring too. Carlos knew anything and everything about what was around us, pointing out things and creatures that the untrained eye would miss, carrying a telescope at all times for us to see the birds, ensuring we got magical videos on our phones using the telescope! Read all
Many thanks to Refugio Amazonas for an unforgettable experience! Brenda and team were so wonderful and accommodating, and Alan was a great guide. Thank you for a memorable experience! :) Read all
We had an excellent time at Tambopata research center. We are tourists like most who now visit the center, but it’s great to know that you can support research and the local community by visiting a place like this. Our guide for our trip, Esau, was extremely knowledgeable and showed great passion for his job. He described it as a hobby and he would get very excited if you spotted a specific bird or a tree. His specific knowledge about each and every creature in the forest was very impressive and I would recommend asking for Esau to be your guide in the future if you plan to visit. The hotel itself is unique. You are in the middle of the Amazon rainforest - the accessibility to nature is second to none. There are no windows in the hotel rooms. We had bugs in our room, of course, but the mosquito nets keep everything out and, actually, we both slept very well. The bar staff, Harrison, is very knowledgeable with drinks and works very hard. The food isn’t the best you’re ever going to have, but you have to remind yourself you are in the middle of the rainforest and that it takes a 6 hour round trip to get to the nearest town, and so the job that the hotel does in respect of the food is actually intuitive and very good. I would recommend this hotel to my peers and I would love to visit again in a few years time. Read all
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