Several years ago I did some field research on Leaf Cutters in Costa Rica. Actually we did several research projects on ants but the one we presented was the Leaf Cutters. I did a write up you can check out in my posts. We looked at army ants which were everywhere, and this species of acacia ant that lived inside the hollowed limbs of various acacia tree species and would attack literally anything that touched it. Insects, mammals, People, US! There bites hurt like a SOB. They would also excrete a chemical that killed vegetation off in a very visible ring around the plant itself. They would trim vegetation that crowded or clung to (vines) there home tree. Really cool stuff. Great article.