The animal on the cover of _Mastering Bitcoin_ is a leaf cutter ant .
The animal on the cover of _Mastering Bitcoin_ is a leafcutter ant (__Atta colombica__). The leafcutter ant, a nongeneric name, are tropical, fungus-growing ants endemic to South and Central America, Mexico, and southern United States. Aside from humans, leafcutter ants form the largest and most complex animal societies on the planet. They are named for the way they chew leaves, which serve as nutrition for their fungal growths.
Winged ants, both male and female, take part in a mass exit of their nest known as the _revoada_, or a nuptial flight. Females mate with multiple males to collect the 300 million sperm necessary to set up a colony. Once grounded, the female loses its wings and sets up an underground lair for her colony.
Many of the animals on O'Reilly covers are endangered; all of them are important to the world. To learn more about how you can help, go to http://animals.oreilly.com[animals.oreilly.com].
myarbrough@oreilly.com
10 years ago