{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/29470"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/29470","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Evolutionary co-option of trap-jaw ant mandible strikes: defensive interactions with antlions","abstract":"The co-option of existing traits for novel functions is fundamental to many theories of trait evolution, but relatively few studies have examined evolutionary co-option at a behavioral level. Trap-jaw ants in the genus Odontomachus have a rapid and powerful mandible snap that is used during predation to disable fast or dangerous prey. Previous research suggests that some trap-jaw species may have co-opted the high forces generated by the mandibles for escape: in threatening situations ants direct their strikes against the substrate and launch themselves into the air. Until now, no actual predators or competitors have been found in the field against which trap-jaw use their “escape jumps.” Here, I examine the use of mandible snapping behavior in two trap-jaw species (Odontomachus brunneus and Odontomachus relictus) during their interactions with predatory antlions in the genus Myrmeleon. Using behavioral observations, high-speed videography, and traditional bioassays, I describe how trap-jaw ants can use their mandible strikes to escape from antlion pits. Interestingly, while both species use the mandible snap for predation, only O. brunneus use the mandible snap to escape from antlion pits. A comparison of the kinematic properties of mandible strikes suggests that differences in force generation might contribute to the behavioral differences between these species. Taken together, my results indicate that trap-jaw mandible snaps can be used to escape from natural predators, lending support to the idea that this predatory behavior has been evolutionarily co-opted for anti-predator defense.","abstract_html":"The co-option of existing traits for novel functions is fundamental to many theories of trait evolution, but relatively few studies have examined evolutionary co-option at a behavioral level. Trap-jaw ants in the genus Odontomachus have a rapid and powerful mandible snap that is used during predation to disable fast or dangerous prey. Previous research suggests that some trap-jaw species may have co-opted the high forces generated by the mandibles for escape: in threatening situations ants direct their strikes against the substrate and launch themselves into the air. Until now, no actual predators or competitors have been found in the field against which trap-jaw use their “escape jumps.” Here, I examine the use of mandible snapping behavior in two trap-jaw species (Odontomachus brunneus and Odontomachus relictus) during their interactions with predatory antlions in the genus Myrmeleon. Using behavioral observations, high-speed videography, and traditional bioassays, I describe how trap-jaw ants can use their mandible strikes to escape from antlion pits. Interestingly, while both species use the mandible snap for predation, only O. brunneus use the mandible snap to escape from antlion pits. A comparison of the kinematic properties of mandible strikes suggests that differences in force generation might contribute to the behavioral differences between these species. Taken together, my results indicate that trap-jaw mandible snaps can be used to escape from natural predators, lending support to the idea that this predatory behavior has been evolutionarily co-opted for anti-predator defense.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Larabee, Fredrick"],"institution":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"M.S.","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Entomology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Suarez, Andrew V."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012-02-01T00:47:48Z","date_published":"2012-02-01T00:47:48Z","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:27Z","subjects":["Trap-jaw Ants","Evolutionary Co-Option","Predator-Prey Interactions","Predator Avoidance"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright 2011 Fredrick Larabee"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/2142/29470","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Suarez, Andrew V."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Larabee, Fredrick"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2012-02-01T00:47:48Z","2014-02-01T11:00:29Z","2011-12"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation / Thesis","text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Entomology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["M.S."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Trap-jaw Ants","Evolutionary Co-Option","Predator-Prey Interactions","Predator Avoidance"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2011 Fredrick Larabee"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/2142/29470"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["The co-option of existing traits for novel functions is fundamental to many theories of trait evolution, but relatively few studies have examined evolutionary co-option at a behavioral level. Trap-jaw ants in the genus Odontomachus have a rapid and powerful mandible snap that is used during predation to disable fast or dangerous prey. Previous research suggests that some trap-jaw species may have co-opted the high forces generated by the mandibles for escape: in threatening situations ants direct their strikes against the substrate and launch themselves into the air. Until now, no actual predators or competitors have been found in the field against which trap-jaw use their “escape jumps.” Here, I examine the use of mandible snapping behavior in two trap-jaw species (Odontomachus brunneus and Odontomachus relictus) during their interactions with predatory antlions in the genus Myrmeleon. Using behavioral observations, high-speed videography, and traditional bioassays, I describe how trap-jaw ants can use their mandible strikes to escape from antlion pits. Interestingly, while both species use the mandible snap for predation, only O. brunneus use the mandible snap to escape from antlion pits. A comparison of the kinematic properties of mandible strikes suggests that differences in force generation might contribute to the behavioral differences between these species. Taken together, my results indicate that trap-jaw mandible snaps can be used to escape from natural predators, lending support to the idea that this predatory behavior has been evolutionarily co-opted for anti-predator defense.","Item withdrawn by Mark Zulauf (zulauf@illinois.edu) on 2011-12-08T18:52:47Z Item was in collections: University of Illinois Theses & Dissertations (ID: 1) No. of bitstreams: 9 Larabee_Fredrick.pdf: 1273555 bytes, checksum: 5468ceb9c5df40ad11a83b646da85f20 (MD5) Larabee_Fredrick.pdf: 1273650 bytes, checksum: ef0ae8414a1edf55961eeef06aa53eab (MD5) larabee_appendix_F.mov: 53831935 bytes, checksum: b5fa40694f16935552e11a60183d0b99 (MD5) larabee_appendix_E.mov: 80892821 bytes, checksum: 0f1cd592a372eec75607a89dc8584b8c (MD5) larabee_appendix_D.mov: 10765462 bytes, checksum: 613b54a008e2e692c0893f2afbe7c1c8 (MD5) larabee_appendix_C.mov: 4016835 bytes, checksum: 645ca086c01d97d9bc60f3f853432ca1 (MD5) larabee_appendix_B.mov: 840484 bytes, checksum: bbe271f58553b27fec6066a1e3b73bee (MD5) larabee_appendix_A.mov: 78583968 bytes, checksum: edda2e26e0f24f2a697bd875b1baf6c1 (MD5) Larabee_Fredrick.pdf: 1273582 bytes, checksum: bd8d06927f470ba6ec2cde32f7716543 (MD5)","Made available in DSpace on 2012-02-01T00:47:48Z (GMT). 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Trap-jaw ants in the genus Odontomachus have a rapid and powerful mandible snap that is used during predation to disable fast or dangerous prey. Previous research suggests that some trap-jaw species may have co-opted the high forces generated by the mandibles for escape: in threatening situations ants direct their strikes against the substrate and launch themselves into the air. Until now, no actual predators or competitors have been found in the field against which trap-jaw use their “escape jumps.” Here, I examine the use of mandible snapping behavior in two trap-jaw species (Odontomachus brunneus and Odontomachus relictus) during their interactions with predatory antlions in the genus Myrmeleon. Using behavioral observations, high-speed videography, and traditional bioassays, I describe how trap-jaw ants can use their mandible strikes to escape from antlion pits. Interestingly, while both species use the mandible snap for predation, only O. brunneus use the mandible snap to escape from antlion pits. A comparison of the kinematic properties of mandible strikes suggests that differences in force generation might contribute to the behavioral differences between these species. Taken together, my results indicate that trap-jaw mandible snaps can be used to escape from natural predators, lending support to the idea that this predatory behavior has been evolutionarily co-opted for anti-predator defense.","Item withdrawn by Mark Zulauf (zulauf@illinois.edu) on 2011-12-08T18:52:47Z Item was in collections: University of Illinois Theses & Dissertations (ID: 1) No. of bitstreams: 9 Larabee_Fredrick.pdf: 1273555 bytes, checksum: 5468ceb9c5df40ad11a83b646da85f20 (MD5) Larabee_Fredrick.pdf: 1273650 bytes, checksum: ef0ae8414a1edf55961eeef06aa53eab (MD5) larabee_appendix_F.mov: 53831935 bytes, checksum: b5fa40694f16935552e11a60183d0b99 (MD5) larabee_appendix_E.mov: 80892821 bytes, checksum: 0f1cd592a372eec75607a89dc8584b8c (MD5) larabee_appendix_D.mov: 10765462 bytes, checksum: 613b54a008e2e692c0893f2afbe7c1c8 (MD5) larabee_appendix_C.mov: 4016835 bytes, checksum: 645ca086c01d97d9bc60f3f853432ca1 (MD5) larabee_appendix_B.mov: 840484 bytes, checksum: bbe271f58553b27fec6066a1e3b73bee (MD5) larabee_appendix_A.mov: 78583968 bytes, checksum: edda2e26e0f24f2a697bd875b1baf6c1 (MD5) Larabee_Fredrick.pdf: 1273582 bytes, checksum: bd8d06927f470ba6ec2cde32f7716543 (MD5)","Made available in DSpace on 2012-02-01T00:47:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 8 larabee_appendix_A.mov: 78583968 bytes, checksum: edda2e26e0f24f2a697bd875b1baf6c1 (MD5) larabee_appendix_B.mov: 840484 bytes, checksum: bbe271f58553b27fec6066a1e3b73bee (MD5) larabee_appendix_C.mov: 4016835 bytes, checksum: 645ca086c01d97d9bc60f3f853432ca1 (MD5) larabee_appendix_D.mov: 10765462 bytes, checksum: 613b54a008e2e692c0893f2afbe7c1c8 (MD5) larabee_appendix_E.mov: 80892821 bytes, checksum: 0f1cd592a372eec75607a89dc8584b8c (MD5) larabee_appendix_F.mov: 53831935 bytes, checksum: b5fa40694f16935552e11a60183d0b99 (MD5) Larabee_Fredrick.pdf: 1273736 bytes, checksum: 5afb8f7a475343b084d6c94d72f96a61 (MD5) license.txt: 4066 bytes, checksum: b4cbd098a352033308ed04f893f68bca (MD5)","Item marked as restricted to the 'UIUC Users [automated]' Group (id=2) by William Ingram (wingram2@illinois.edu) on 2012-02-01T00:50:38Z Item is restricted until 2014-02-01T00:50:07Z","Item reinstated by Sarah Shreeves (sshreeve@illinois.edu) on 2014-02-01T11:00:29Z Item was in collections: Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois (ID: 204) Dissertations and Theses - Entomology (ID: 742) No. of bitstreams: 8 larabee_appendix_A.mov: 78583968 bytes, checksum: edda2e26e0f24f2a697bd875b1baf6c1 (MD5) larabee_appendix_B.mov: 840484 bytes, checksum: bbe271f58553b27fec6066a1e3b73bee (MD5) larabee_appendix_C.mov: 4016835 bytes, checksum: 645ca086c01d97d9bc60f3f853432ca1 (MD5) larabee_appendix_D.mov: 10765462 bytes, checksum: 613b54a008e2e692c0893f2afbe7c1c8 (MD5) larabee_appendix_E.mov: 80892821 bytes, checksum: 0f1cd592a372eec75607a89dc8584b8c (MD5) larabee_appendix_F.mov: 53831935 bytes, checksum: b5fa40694f16935552e11a60183d0b99 (MD5) Larabee_Fredrick.pdf: 1273736 bytes, checksum: 5afb8f7a475343b084d6c94d72f96a61 (MD5) license.txt: 4066 bytes, checksum: b4cbd098a352033308ed04f893f68bca (MD5)","Item released from any restrictions by Sarah Shreeves (sshreeve@illinois.edu) on 2014-02-01T11:00:29Z"],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/2142/29470"],"dc:language":["en"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2011 Fredrick Larabee"],"dc:subject":["Trap-jaw Ants","Evolutionary Co-Option","Predator-Prey Interactions","Predator Avoidance"],"dc:title":["Evolutionary co-option of trap-jaw ant mandible strikes: defensive interactions with antlions"],"dc:type":["Dissertation / Thesis","text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Entomology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["M.S."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:27Z"}