Chicatana
Leaf Cutter Ant Day
Imagine sitting in a pre-sunrise prayer meeting, and you start hearing the sound of rain. Except it’s completely dry outside. What you mistook for rain is actually millions of flying ants hitting the roof. The atta mexicana, a type of leafcutter ant locally known as hormigas chicatanas, takes to the sky only once a year! But they come out in horrifying numbers if you’re afraid of bugs.
But if you’re a local, this is one of the most exciting days of the year. Hundreds of Chiapanecos heard the noise this morning and ran outside with buckets to collect these ants, and are now frying them for a delicacy known as sisin. Many of the ants left behind are already beginning to lose their wings.
Why does this happen once a year? Why do they so quickly lose their wings? What is the purpose of their crazed flying? I have no idea! But it is quite the phenomenon.
Even on regular days, leafcutter ants are possibly the most societally advanced bugs. You may know that they cut leaves off of trees and carry them away, but you may also be under the false impression that the leaves are food. They actually use the leaves as material to grow fungus. They’re farmers! Did you think humans were the only ones?
But today, all across Chiapas, they are food. It’s a very unique flavor, and I have no idea how to describe it. If you’re around in late May/early June, be on the lookout for this event!
This is basically hilarious, people catching ants in buckets! I will let you savour the flavour on your own though, I've had a few bugs here in Mexico and would prefer to stick to mammal protein 😂
They're always scary to me. We have another kind of ant that comes into the house and hangs out (literally--lots of them) in the shower. Guess they like dampness. One year they made a beeline from the door in our bedroom to the shower and at night it was scary getting out of bed b/c I was afraid I'd step on them. Our cat was horrified. Our neighbor said "Do not worry - they will leave." And in a couple days they did!