Medium to large workers, commonly around 9–13 millimetres.
Fine-art photographic collection
Odontomachus troglodytes
A spring-loaded predator whose jaws can also launch its body through the air.
About this species
African trap-jaw ant
Odontomachus troglodytesSantschi, 1914
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Odontomachus troglodytes is a widespread African trap-jaw ant. Workers hunt with long mandibles held open under tension and released by a sensitive trigger mechanism.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Formicidae · Ponerinae · Ponerini · Odontomachus
Source checked · checked 2026-07-15
Sub-Saharan AfricaBroad documented localities — not a complete range map.
Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa.
Savanna, woodland, forest edge, gardens and disturbed tropical ground.
Individual ground foragers search for small arthropods and return to concealed nests.
Live arthropod prey, carrion and sugary liquids.
Ground or cavity nests with colonies much smaller than those of army ants.
What makes this species remarkable?
The mandibles close among the fastest recorded animal movements.
Striking the ground can propel the ant away from danger.
Workers combine visual, tactile and chemical cues during close-range hunting.