Insect-plant interactions are key for the biodiversity of our planet. One of the most important of these interactions is that many insects feed on plants. These plant feeders change our environment with the burrows, dens and trails that they build, they alter local nutrient availability by converting plant tissue into faeces and dung, and – last but not least – they can be significant pest species that cause enormous damage and wreak havoc year after year. As different as they may be, all insect herbivores have in common that plant feeding must involve a mechanical interaction between mouthpart and plant tissue; if the insect cannot drill, pierce, cut or grind the plant tissue, it cannot feed on it. We study these biomechanical interactions, because they are a key ingredient of the overall performance of the individual herbivores, and hence integral to their success. Currently, our main focus lies on the ants from the genus Atta, commonly – and for good reason – called the Leaf-Cutter Ants.