The face of a praying mantis
 
After dreaming about mantises (commonly known as “praying mantises”) one night Academy Award-winning director Zana Briski decided to film the fascinating insects as they go about their day-to-day business.

The word mantis is derived from the ancient Greek name “mantodea” (which means “prophet”) and was coined in 1838 by the German entomologist Hermann Burmeister. Mantises are highly predatory insects with their fellow bugs (or even their own siblings) being their primary prey. However, larger species of mantis have been known to feed on animals such as snakes, fish and even rats or mice.

In Briski’s short film Reverence, she manages to capture the horror and spellbinding beauty of these remarkable insects at such a close range, it’s impossible to look away from.
 

Previously on Dangerous Minds:
They Walk Among Us: Alien-like photographs of insects