[3] It was later transferred to a new genus, Atta, along with five other species by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1804.

[4] In 1911, American entomologist William Morton Wheeler designated A. cephalotes as the type species of Atta.

Rubbish workers are often contaminated with disease and toxins, and live only half as long as their peers.

[8][9] The species is widely distributed in the Neotropical region, from Mexico to Bolivia, with disjunct populations in Amazonas and north-eastern Brazil.

[10] Across the rainforest floor they typically occupy an area of approximately 200 square meters.