Leaf-cutter ants build megaprojects without any communication

PARIS - Leaf-cutter ants build super highways to transfer food and building materials hundreds of meters without communicating with each other, scientists claimed on Wednesday, in findings that could prompt a rethink about how some insect communities organize themselves.

Each leaf-cutter colony can carve out nearly three kilometers of trails from the forest floor every year, investing an average of 11,000 hours into constructing and maintaining them.

It had long been thought that the ants, which are native to South and Central America, organize megaprojects by communicating with one another, assigning specialists to remove debris and retrieve leaf matter.