The praying mantis can see 360 degrees because it is the only insect species that has the ability to move its head 180 degrees to the left or right. In addition to having 360-degree vision, the praying mantis also is the only insect to have stereopsis, or three-dimensional (3D) vision. The praying mantis’ ability to see 360 degrees allows it to spot prey efficiently and attack quickly — the strike is twice the speed of the blink of an eye. A praying mantis' vision is so unique that researchers have studied it by attaching miniature 3D glasses to the insects in order to develop technology for programming 3D vision for robots.
More about praying mantises:
- The praying mantis will not only eat other insects, the adult females also have been known to consume adult males with whom they have mated.
- A praying mantis' vision and hunting tactics are so efficient that it can kill prey three times its size.
- Praying mantises have more than 10,000 miniature eyes within their main, compound eyes.
