About Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858)
Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858) is a species of leafcutter ant belonging to the genus Atta, one of roughly a dozen recognized leafcutter species in that genus. Its natural range extends from Venezuela southward to Paraguay. This is one of the largest leafcutter ant species, and can be identified by the smooth, shining head of the largest workers within a colony. Atta laevigata has a variety of regional common names across its range: it is called hormiga culona (literally translated as "big-assed ant") in northern South America, sikisapa in Peru, zompopo de mayo in Central America, bachaco culón in Venezuela, akango in Paraguay, and chicatana in Mexico. In Brazil, the species is known as "saúva-cabeça-de-vidro" (literally "glass-headed saúva"), where saúva is the common name for all Atta ants. Colonies of this species typically contain around 3.5 million individual ants.
