Researchers discover how ant species uses abdomen for extra power during jumps

Researchers in the department of entomology at the University of Illinois have shown how a species of ant uses its abdomen to add speed to its jump, in a recent study published in Integrative Organismal Biology. With a name like Gigantiops destructor, one might expect this ant species to be large or aggressive, but these relatively shy ants common to South America are anything but. Compared to other notable Amazonian ants such as bullet, army and leafcutter ants, Gigantiops are smaller, less confrontational, and often overlooked as one walks through the rainforest. However, these ants are capable of a rather unique behavior—they travel through their leaf litter habitats by jumping—and rotating their abdomens to power part of that process.

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