New ant species discovered at Canandé Reserve!
Odontomachus davidsoni is the name of this new species of ant, considered among the 5 largest in the Neotropics. Trap-jaw ants have one of the fastest movements known to science when they close their jaws to capture prey. The expeditions that led to its discovery were led by Phillip Hönle and Nico Bluthgen of the University of Darmstadt. This discovery is surprising since it is a very large ant - similar to the size of a conga, with a striking coloration and a long jaw.
This discovery helps to highlight the importance of protecting and studying the last remaining Chocó lowland forest. Together with our partner Rainforest Trust, an auction was held tochoose the name of the species. The name waschosen in honor of Stuart Carleton Davidson, a naturelover and founder of a group of restaurants in theUnited States. The funds raised from the auctionhelp us to purchase land for the expansion ofour Canandé reserve, in order to create a corridor thatconnects our Canandé and Tesoro Escondidoreserves with the Cotacachi-Cayapas National Park.With the support of various donors, we have alreadypurchased 317 hectares this year!
