Scientists fit Praying Mantises with 3D glasses for vision testing

Scientists have fitted one of the coolest bugs in the world with some very slick shades. The images you see here are Praying Mantises that were fitted with 3D glasses in an effort to test if the insects have 3D vision. The goal of the testing was to determine exactly how the insects see the world. The little glasses fitted to the mantis are made of beeswax and are designed to allow only certain types of light through.

By using this sort of lens, the scientists can show different images to each eye of the insect. The first test didn't work and the researchers went to a different type of lens called the anaglyph that traditionally uses red and blue lenses of the sort that used to be 3D glasses in years past.

While humans need red and blue lenses, the researchers know that mantises can't see red light well so they chose blue and green lenses to solve issues in testing. To test the bugs, the researchers put the mantises on a special platform and then showed them dark prey-like objects on a bright background while the screen was beyond their striking range.

Despite being well out of their strike range, the mantises wearing the glasses struck anyway because the images seemed to be floating within their striking range as 3D images do for humans watching a movie.

VIA: Gizmodo