Chinese mantis (Stagmomantis carolina) snatches northern walkingstick (Diapheromera femorata) as it climbs past it on plant. The mantis hunts by detecting motion and has one of the fastest strikes in the insect world. 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. Since then this formidable predator has spread throughout the northeastern U.S.