The Acrobatic Hijinks Of Praying Mantises Captured
Thursday, March 5, 2015 - 14:20
in Psychology & Sociology
When a young, wingless praying mantis jumps, from take-off to landing is a mere tenth of second--literally faster than the blink of a human eye. During a jump, the insect's body rotates in mid-air at a rate of about 2.5 times per second. And yet, the jumps are precise. When mantises jump, they land on target every time. "This is akin to asking an ice skater who is rotating at the same speed as these mantises to stop suddenly and accurately to face a specific direction," says Malcolm Burrows of the University of Cambridge. read more