Behavioural biomechanics of insect herbivory - a case study on leaf-cutter ants

Insect herbivores represent a permanent threat to agriculture and global food security. One novel way to address this problem may be to understand the role biomechanical restrictions play in the performance of prolific insect herbivores. The EU-funded MechAnt project will use leaf-cutter ants as a model system to derive fundamental knowledge on the role of mechanics in plant-feeding by insects. The project will evaluate the hypothesis that the social organisation of leaf-cutter colonies is based on ergonomic standards, which in turn are controlled by the properties of the leaves. A wide range of scientific fields will be used to identify and explain the mechanisms and restrictions that determine the insects’ cutting performance.