A European mantis (Mantis religiosa) eating a black-chinned hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) in Millwood, Colorado. Tom Vaughan Like all great assassins, praying mantises are patient.

A praying mantis depends on precision targeting when hunting insects. Now, scientists have identified nerve cells that help calculate the depth perception required for these predators’ surgical ...

Named for their prominent front legs that fold together in a gesture suggesting devotion, the praying mantis comes off as serene and soulful. They are not as docile as they appear. In fact ...

At rest, this species will sit, with their front arms folded making it appear as though they are praying, earning their species name religiosa. The genus name Mantis means prophet in Greek 1. As the ...