Animal profile

Trap-jaw Ant

Odontomachus bauri

InsectaLeaf litter and soil of tropical forest and plantation

Field profile

Trap-jaw ants have long straight mandibles held open at nearly 180 degrees and released by a latch mechanism. They hunt small arthropods in leaf litter and also sting. The strike is among the fastest movements recorded in the animal kingdom.

Published field notes

2026-05-06

Trap-jaw Ant

The trap-jaw ant fires its jaws to launch itself

Odontomachus mandibles close in well under a millisecond at speeds above 35 metres per second. Aimed at the ground, the same strike throws the ant several centimetres into the air, an escape reflex rather than an attack.

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