Chinese mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) watching northern walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata) climb past it on plant. The mantis's large multi-faceted eyes enable it to detect motion better than most other insects, making it an outstanding hunter. The mantis is a formidable predator but the stick is too close, even climbing over the mantis, for the mantis to attack. The Chinese mantis is the largest mantis species in North America and reaches a length of 10 cm. Indigenous to China, it was was first introduced to North America around 1895 as a source of pest control and has spread throughout the northeastern U.S.