''Odontomachus brunneus'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of ant in the subfamily Ponerinae, found in the

southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

, parts of

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, and the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

Overview

Ants of the genus ''Odontomachus'' are commonly called ''trap-jaw ants'', due to the large, straight mandibles, which can be opened to 180 degrees and snapped shut on prey. They tend to be pretty timid for the most part, only accepting prey it can 100% take down, while other ants such as Solenopsis will attack anything that moves. When

sensory Sensory may refer to: Biology * Sensory ecology, how organisms obtain information about their environment * Sensory neuron, nerve cell responsible for transmitting information about external stimuli * Sensory perception, the process of acquiri ...

hairs on the inside of the mandibles are touched, the trap jaw is triggered. The mandibles also permit slow and fine movements for other tasks such as nest building and care of

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. The ...

e. Odontomachus brunneus ants have a particular seasonal breeding cycle, where offspring are produced during the first six months of the year and none are created in the later six months. Foraging is often slow during the breeding period due to the amount of Odontomachus brunneus ants reproducing, but is doubled by the time the breeding period comes to an end.Hart, L. M.; Tschinkel, W. R. A seasonal natural history of the ant, Odontomachus brunneus, Insectes Sociaux 2011, 59, 45-54.

Speed record

Trap-jaw ants of this species have the fastest moving

predatory Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

appendage An appendage (or outgrowth) is an external body part, or natural prolongation, that protrudes from an organism's body. In arthropods, an appendage refers to any of the homologous body parts that may extend from a body segment, including anten ...

s within the animal kingdom. One study recorded peak speeds of between 126 and 230 km/h (78 - 143 mph), with the jaws closing within just 130 microseconds on average. The peak

force In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a p ...

exerted was in the order of 300 times the body weight of the ant. The ants were also observed to use their jaws as a

catapult A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of stored p ...

to eject intruders or fling themselves backwards to escape a threat.

Footnotes

External links

''Odontomachus brunneus''
photos * Ponerinae Hymenoptera of North America Insects described in 1894 {{Ponerinae-stub