This elegant lady visited me at work the other day. Did you know that mantises have five eyes? The two large compound ones that are obvious, and three simple eyes between them. The females of the species are infamous for eating their mates, head first, during sex. This actually happens less than 25% of the time. Evidently male mantises like the odds, as mantises have been around for at least 135 million years. Their closest relations are cockroaches and termites.
davidscottmoyer 
an impressive specimen
Well isn’t that something I never new mantises and cockroaches were so closely related, while I prefer to see any such creatures within a good distance admittedly I am not as bothered by a mantis as I am a cockroach. Though I’m working on not being so freaked out by the latter. Great image.