Leiningen versus the Ants

Factual Questions
1

In the classic short story,

2

Er…okay.

In the classic short story, a horde of ants destroy a plantation in Brazil. Do such ants exist IRL; and if they do, can they cause that much damage?

3

This site makes it seem possible. I recall as a kid I was keen on ants for a while and I’m sure I read several similar accounts.

4

Somewhat relevant:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=129966