A. mexicana is found in Mexico (where is commonly called hormiga chicatana, hormiga podadora de hoja/desert ant[5][6][7] and mochomo),[8] and crosses into Arizona, United States.[9]
This species is highly adaptive, and thrives in such urban areas as Puerto Vallarta. Densities of A. mexicana nests are very high in numerous areas, including the resort community of Nuevo Vallarta.[10]
The species is found in various locations of central and southern Mexico during the start of the rainy season, when the soil becomes wet and the ants leave for their nuptial flight.[11] That time of the year is the most active for the chicatanas, during which they clean their anthill and create new colonies, becoming very abundant. In Chiapas, for example, they are harvested from late May to early July. In Tuxtla Gutiérrez, they are known as nucú and are prepared in a stew with the same name;[12] in Chiapa de Corzo and Ocosingo they are respectively called nacasmá and cocosh.[13] They are also widely known in Veracruz, Oaxaca, the mountainous areas of Guerrero, Guanajuato, Puebla, Morelos, and Edomex.[12]
When consumed as snacks (botanas), they are fried with olive oil or toasted on a comal, usually with salt, lemon, and hot sauce, and traditionally accompany the Pox.[12] They are also fried in tacos. In Maya regions, they are stewed in chilmole.
^"Archived copy"(PDF). www1.inecol.edu.mx. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^Mintzer, Alex (1995). "Diet of the Leafcutting Ant, Atta Mexicana (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in a Sonoran Desert Habitat". Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science. 28 (1/2): 33–40. JSTOR40024299.