A jaw-powered escapeSourced
The snapping jaws can fling the ant backward
Odontomachus ants have large jaws that snap shut rapidly. Besides handling prey, the jaws have been observed ejecting intruders and catapulting the ant backward to escape a threat. A feeding structure can also serve movement.
The legs are not the only way to move the body.
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Odontomachus · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-05