# Northern Fungus-farming Ant (*Trachymyrmex septentrionalis*) The Northern Fungus-farming Ant is a tiny ant that loves to grow its own food! These ants make special gardens with fungus to eat, and they work together in big groups to take care of their home. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Forests ![Northern Fungus-farming Ant](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Trachymyrmex_septentrionalis_casent0102745_profile_2.jpg&width=800) Photo: April Nobile, CC BY 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trachymyrmex_septentrionalis_casent0102745_profile_2.jpg) ## Appearance The Northern Fungus-farming Ant is a small, reddish-brown to dark brown ant with a distinctive rough, spiny body texture. Its body is covered in fine hairs, giving it a somewhat dusty appearance, which helps camouflage it in its detritus-filled environment. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Hymenoptera - **Family:** Formicidae - **Genus:** Trachymyrmex ## Interesting facts - Every new ant colony starts with a queen carrying a piece of her old garden! - Their queen can live for over 10 years, leading her colony for a very long time! - These tiny ants don't eat leaves directly; they feed their special fungus instead! - They have special chambers just for garbage, keeping their homes super clean! ## Special abilities - **Fungus Gardeners:** Northern Fungus-farming Ants can grow their own food by carefully cultivating a specific fungus species deep within their nests. - **Antimicrobial Arsenal:** Northern Fungus-farming Ants have special glands that produce antibiotics, helping protect their precious fungus gardens from harmful molds. - **Detritus Recyclers:** Northern Fungus-farming Ants can gather plant detritus and insect frass, which they use as fertilizer to feed their cultivated fungus. ## Measurements & details - **Size:** 2-4 mm - **Lifespan:** 180-365 days - **Leg Count:** 6 - **Colony Size:** 500-3000 ## Diet & Feeding These ants cultivate and consume a specialized fungus that they grow using plant detritus and insect frass. - **Primary Foods:** Leucocoprinus gongylophorus (their cultivated fungus), plant detritus, insect frass, dead insect parts - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Symbiotic with:** Ant-farmed Fungus (*Leucocoprinus gongylophorus*) — Ants cultivate and eat this specific fungus. - **Eaten by:** Pale-footed Ant (*Formica pallidefulva*) — Other ant species sometimes raid their nests. - **Eaten by:** [Brown Thrasher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-thrasher) (*Toxostoma rufum*) — Birds often forage for ants on the ground. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Symbiotic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/symbiotic): Describes a relationship between two different species where they live in close association, often benefiting one or both. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Be gentle and watch where you step, as ants are small and can be easily squished. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Northern Fungus-farming Ant? Compare the antennae, waist segments, body proportions and size. Workers, queens and males of the same species can look surprisingly different. Ant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How big is Northern Fungus-farming Ant? 2-4 mm ### How long does Northern Fungus-farming Ant live? 180-365 days ### What does Northern Fungus-farming Ant eat? These ants cultivate and consume a specialized fungus that they grow using plant detritus and insect frass. ### Where is Northern Fungus-farming Ant usually found? Forests ### How does Northern Fungus-farming Ant hunt? Foraging ### How many legs does Northern Fungus-farming Ant have? 6 ### How large are Northern Fungus-farming Ant colonies? 500-3000 ## Where to spot - [Bainbridge Commercial Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bainbridge-commercial-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Sears - Bellows Pond County Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sears-bellows-pond-county-park) — New York, US · Park ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Northern Fungus-farming Ant: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-fungus-farming-ant)