Meeting Abstract
The ability to jump is rare among ants. Gigantiops destructor is well known for its jumping abilities, however, few studies have been done on jump kinematics in this ant. Previous research revealed that G. destructor begins its jump by rotating its abdomen and hind legs forward as it takes off, which possibly provides thrust or stabilizes rotational momentum. We aimed to obtain a detailed understanding of the mechanics behind G. destructor’s jumping behavior. We used high speed video to record G. destructor jumping between two inclines with a 2 cm gap between them. To analyze the function of abdominal rotation in jumping behavior, we anesthetized ants after filming them jumping and applied glue to their abdomen-petiole and petiole-thorax joints, preventing their abdomens from rotating during future jumps. Our results suggest that abdominal rotation is key for stability during jumps; ants tend to lose control of their rotational momentum during jumps when their abdomens are prevented from moving. Takeoff velocity is not affected by restricting the abdomen. Future research will include recording additional individuals to examine the kinematics of jumping behavior in a variety of contexts in relation to foraging and escape.
