Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) using it powerful jaws to devour a cricket it has just caught. The mantis's large multi-faceted eyes enable it to detect motion better than most other insects, making it an outstanding hunter. This is the largest species in North America and reaches a length of 10 cm. Indigenous to China, they were first introduced to North America around 1895 as a source of pest control. Since then this formidable predator has spread throughout the northeastern U.S.