Leafcutter ants (tribe Attini)

A tiny ant may not seem qualified to be one of the strongest animals in the world. But it is possibly the strongest insect in America. There are over 39 species of leafcutter ants.

To produce their food, leafcutter ants cut leaves and flowers and feed them to fungi, which they then eat. Leafcutter ants have a tiny body mass but are very powerful. Leafcutter ants carry leaves and flowers about 50 times their body weight. That’s like a human carrying a truck.