Dialkyltetrahydrofurans
Guides
Odontomachus haematodus
two-spined trapjaw ant
Odontomachus haematodus is a large, aggressive species of trap-jaw ant native to South America that has established introduced populations across the southeastern United States, particularly along the Gulf Coast. The species is notable for its powerful, spring-loaded mandibles capable of rapid snapping movements used in prey capture and defense. Workers are active both diurnally and nocturnally, foraging in and around rotting wood and occasionally nesting within plants such as Aechmea aquilega. Research has documented this species as a predator of Thoropa taophora tadpoles and has identified unique queen pheromones involving dialkyltetrahydrofurans, compounds previously unknown in eusocial insects.