How Strong Are Ants Jaws?
WouterUsing their jaws, ants can kill, carry, and manipulate food and materials. However, their jaws are not all fast. There are some species, such as Myrmoteras ants, which have jaws that snap shut in only a fraction of a second. These ants live in Southeast Asia and feed on springtails.
Researchers studied how strong are ants jaws to learn more about their mechanisms. They found that the jaws store energy in two areas: the head capsule and the mandible’s tendon-like structure. These stored energies are then used to push the mandible forward, providing added force.
In addition to the spring-loaded mechanism that locks the jaws in place, the head capsule also stores elastic potential energy. This energy is released when the trigger muscle contracts. The trigger muscles contract in a quick and powerful way to open the jaws.
The muscle contractions of the jaws deform the head capsule and stretch the tendon-like structure, pulling it into tension. This provides speed and adds to the force of the attack. The jaws decelerate towards the end of the swing, but stay within an ideal arc for the first 65 degrees.
The mandibles reached their highest rotation speed of 470,000 rpm. They were able to snap closed in only 0.13 milliseconds. This is over 100 times faster than a great white shark’s jaws, and over 100 times faster than the great white’s closing speed.
These findings provide new insight into the high-speed systems of the insect world. They also give scientists a better understanding of the evolutionary origins of structures that drive novel behavior.
