A review by faisman
The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct by Edward O. Wilson, Bert Hölldobler
5.0
Very interesting read on the leafcutter ants showing how this society exists and multiplies, complete with many beautiful photos.
As the author describes, the ants form the town of the insect world, with leafcutter ants forming the domesticated farming cultures as they curate their mutualistic fungus. As humans developed farming to grow their civilizations to the pinnacle of animal success, so ants have cultivated their fungus to expand their populations upwards, with the leafcutters forming this pinnacle of insect evolution.
As the author describes, the ants form the town of the insect world, with leafcutter ants forming the domesticated farming cultures as they curate their mutualistic fungus. As humans developed farming to grow their civilizations to the pinnacle of animal success, so ants have cultivated their fungus to expand their populations upwards, with the leafcutters forming this pinnacle of insect evolution.