The Praying Mantis and Me

My office sits on the second floor of a brick building in Harvard Square, and I have big windows that allow me to look out across a couple parking lots and see all the people coming and going up and down Mass Ave., maybe fifty yards away or so. Because of the pavement and the elevation, I don't see a lot of bugs nearby. There is a small flower garden beneath my window, and some trees maybe fifty feet away, but I could count the insects that enter my vision over the course of a month. So it was quite a surprise when I looked up from my computer and discovered that a Praying Mantis had lighted on my windowpane. How did I know it was a Praying Mantis? Well, it basically looked like a large blade of grass with long legs, so I Googled "insects that look like a blade of grass" and it came right up. So here's where it gets interesting, I mean, um, creepy. I was looking at the creature, sort of studying it, when it turned its head and stared at me. I didn't know bugs could do that, and it freaked me the fuck out. Not only was that weird, but it seemed to be evincing a sort of consciousness I don't normally attribute to insects. I mean, it knew I was staring at it. Back on Google, I discovered that the Praying Mantis is the only insect in the world that can turn its head, and also the only insect with 3D vision. Given the mind boggling number of insect species in the world, this makes this one unique bug. Now, get this. Twenty minutes later a white butterfly lighted on my window about 10 inches from the Praying Mantis. At this point I'm wondering if the Praying Mantis is considered an omen in traditional cultures. Back on Google, I learn that, yes it is. Here's the catch though. In some cultures it's an auspicious omen, in others it portends bad things. Great. Thanks. After a while, the butterfly flew away and after another hour, the Praying Mantis was gone.