Furthest jump by an ant

Although many different species and types of insect can jump, very few of them are ants. However, for one of these latter few, the Indian jumping ant Harpegnathos saltator, which is the most accomplished of all jumping ants, jumping is, uniquely, a standard part of its behaviour. No more than 1.9 cm in total length, this ant can execute jumps of up to 10 cm horizontally (over 5 times its own body length), and up to 2 cm vertically. It accomplishes its record jumps (for an ant) via the synchronous activation of muscles in its middle pair and back pair of legs.

Whereas most insects (including other jumping ants) jump solely as an escape mechanism, H. saltator does so in normal locomotion too, and will even jump vertically as a means of capturing small flying insects as prey, all of which is apparently unique not only among ant species but also throughout the entire insect kingdom.