Most insects have heads that are fixed in place; they have to turn their whole body to look at something behind them. Not the praying mantis. It can rotate its triangular head almost 180 degrees - basically over its own shoulder - to track movement in any direction, while sitting perfectly still and looking spooky.
It’s also the only insect known to have true binocular, 3D vision. Just like humans, its two front-facing eyes overlap, letting it judge distance very accurately. Tiny scientists once even fitted mantises with miniature 3D glasses to confirm this.
When prey is within range - a fly, a moth, sometimes even a small lizard or hummingbird - the mantis strikes with its spiked front legs in less than a twentieth of a second, faster than your eye can register. By the time you realize it moved, the prey is already caught.
