Leaf-cutting ants are the gardeners of the insect world, cultivating fungus on the leaf pieces they bring back to the nest. And like their human counterparts, the ants have to deal with garden waste. After they harvest and feed the fungus to the colony, leaf-cutters often discard the organic debris in piles.
Refuse dumps like these might seem innocuous or even beneficial, the equivalent of a backyard compost heap. But researchers in Argentina report that leaf-cutter refuse piles can contribute to the spread of invasive plant species.
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