Trap-jaw ants have the most powerful bite of any animal. The BBC reports that the jaws of trap-jaw ants slam shut at more than 100 km/h (62mph) and deliver a force over 300 times their bodyweight. The ants can also bite the ground and fly into the air to escape predators.
The ants are named after their characteristically long jaws, which they use to hurl unfamiliar neighbours from their nests, cripple prey, or deliver a brutal bite to anything they consider a threat.
Employing the same high-speed imaging methods as those used to film flying bullets, an American research team now shows that the jaws can move at exceptional speeds. Peak velocities exceed 180km/h (110mph)
"This is really by far and away the fastest recorded animal limb movement," said lead researcher Sheila Patek, of the University of California, Berkeley, who worked with ants from Costa Rica.
"The ants' jaws are relatively short, but they deliver such a powerful bite because they can accelerate so quickly. It's simple physics."
The BBC article also has a video that shows a trap-jaw ant using its bite to hurl itself high into the air. It really has to be seen to be believed.
