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With their spring-loaded jaws capable of snapping shut at over 200km/h, trap-jaw ants (Odontomachus sp.) have some of the fastest predatory strikes in the animal kingdom. However, this isn’t their only weapon: they also possess a powerful wasp-like sting that can either subdue prey or serve as an effective deterrent against any animal foolish enough to disturb their nest. There are over 70 species distributed throughout the tropics, shown here is one of the largest: O. tyrannicus from the steamy lowland jungles of New Guinea, its mandibles retracted and ready to strike. Papua, Indonesia.

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© Chien C. Lee
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Contained in galleries
New Guinea, Insects
With their spring-loaded jaws capable of snapping shut at over 200km/h, trap-jaw ants (Odontomachus sp.) have some of the fastest predatory strikes in the animal kingdom. However, this isn’t their only weapon: they also possess a powerful wasp-like sting that can either subdue prey or serve as an effective deterrent against any animal foolish enough to disturb their nest. There are over 70 species distributed throughout the tropics, shown here is one of the largest: O. tyrannicus from the steamy lowland jungles of New Guinea, its mandibles retracted and ready to strike. Papua, Indonesia.