Call me weird but I found myself this summer, minus my little dudes during the early daytime, spending a lot of my free time observing my mantids. As I posted before I have a daily routine of allowing each of them out for a spell in their own little area. Anyway, I also at any given time just like to either sit and watch while they eat or even while holding them on my hand stare right into those orbs trying to find the pupils. Last night I noticed while spying on one, or so I thought, from behind and noticed on the rear of his head there were the pupils. It almost looked like one pupil was still facing one direction while the one closest me was staring right back at me but from the back of his head!! Was I losing my mind or something?? Also, during the day those eyes are green and sort of transparent and of course at night dark brown. The latter I imagine to compensate for the lack of illumination. Anyone really knowledgeable about the dynamics of the functionality of these little buggers' eyes?? Like how far can they see and while they appear to be asleep while just hanging there when I slowly wave my hand across the ocular path all of a sudden that little head turns and he gives me "the look." :shock: I'd really like to know it's amazing to me!!
Those Eyes...
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The eyes of a mantis fill with pigment when it is dark, so the light that comes in seems lighter I guess, sort of like how your puupils dilate to allow more light in, or less.
Try a little experiment with the 'black dots'. Look at the mantis from one side and move to see them follow you and have a friend do the same from the other side at the same time. If it's an optical illusion you'll both see the same thing.
No, your not looking at the mantid's pupil. Though that is what it looks like! You are actually looking into the eye itself. The mantid compound eye is composed of thousands of individual, simple eyes called ommatidia. That "pupil" is the single ommatidia that is directly pointed at you.
I do not know the maximum viewing range of a mantid. They have great ability to see motion at a distance. You could test your mantid by seeing how far away it can see you move an object. It should turn its head to face your finger if it sees it. At max range, I think they see only movement and not detail. They also have very good depth preception. Very useful in judging the range to a target before stricking!
I do not know the maximum viewing range of a mantid. They have great ability to see motion at a distance. You could test your mantid by seeing how far away it can see you move an object. It should turn its head to face your finger if it sees it. At max range, I think they see only movement and not detail. They also have very good depth preception. Very useful in judging the range to a target before stricking!
