Most ants dexterously grasp and snip their food with a pair of chopstick-like mandibles. But trap-jaw ants are also capable of crashing their jaws together at blisteringly fast speeds, striking victims in 0.77 μs. Yet, unleashing such ballistic blows poses a risk. Animals that harness stored elastic energy like a catapult to hurl limbs at great speed—think leaping grasshoppers—are also in danger of tearing themselves apart if the limbs are not perfectly aligned. And few succeed in harnessing such power in limbs while being capable of deft manipulation. However, trap-jaw ants (Odontomachus brunneus) manage both maneuvers, in addition to raining down blows repeatedly without damaging themselves.
