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aje88

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hey can anyone explain why it always appears your mantis is always looking at you even when your in back of it.

 
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An interesting question that has to do with the type of eyes Mantids have. Mantids, like all insects, have compound eyes which unlike human eyes are constructed of thousands of individual 'eye-units' called ommatidia which cover the eye. Each ommatidia picks up a single flat picture and all of the pictures are then interpreted by the insect's brain into how they see, which is very different than human vision. As a result, most insects can see in practically all directions, which is why a mantis can see you even if you're behind them. Mantids have a specialized type of compound eye that groups ommatidia and focuses them into 'pits' called fovea, which gives them detailed close-up vision and helps them hunt. This is why Mantids will turn and look at you when you get closer; they're trying to see you better.

 
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thx thats really cool. i always thought my mantis was always spying on me.

 
"interesting question" was in reference to the thread's topic.

EDIT: Whoops, looks like you edited that question out. Nothing to see here. :p

 
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batsofchaos said:
An interesting question that has to do with the type of eyes Mantids have. Mantids, like all insects, have compound eyes which unlike human eyes are constructed of thousands of individual 'eye-units' called ommatidia which cover the eye. Each ommatidia picks up a single flat picture and all of the pictures are then interpreted by the insect's brain into how they see, which is very different than human vision. As a result, most insects can see in practically all directions, which is why a mantis can see you even if you're behind them. Mantids have a specialized type of compound eye that groups ommatidia and focuses them into 'pits' called fovea, which gives them detailed close-up vision and helps them hunt. This is why Mantids will turn and look at you when you get closer; they're trying to see you better.
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I think she was referring to the little black dot that appears to follow you around.

 
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I'm assuming rick means the pupil? either way, if i'm being completely honest - i'm very confused.

 
Mantids don't have pupils, that's a part of more complicated eyes. Mantid eyes do appear to have black dots in them, is this what you're referring to? Those are caused by very similar reasons to pupils; the angle you're looking at them in is absorbing a lot of light so they appear dark. The other ommatidia appear colored because each ommatidia is surrounded by pigment cells that keep the different ommatidium from picking up the same light as their neighbors. So each ommatidia that's not straight-on appears colored, while the straight-on ones are darkened, creating the optical illusion of pupils that follow you.

 
batsofchaos said:
Mantids don't have pupils, that's a part of more complicated eyes. Mantid eyes do appear to have black dots in them, is this what you're referring to? Those are caused by very similar reasons to pupils; the angle you're looking at them in is absorbing a lot of light so they appear dark. The other ommatidia appear colored because each ommatidia is surrounded by pigment cells that keep the different ommatidium from picking up the same light as their neighbors. So each ommatidia that's not straight-on appears colored, while the straight-on ones are darkened, creating the optical illusion of pupils that follow you.
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Yes that. I believe that is what most people mean when they say the eyes follow them.

 
Awesome. I knew the basics of mantis eyes but you just cleared it up for me. Just another reason to love them more.

 

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