By Liz Kimbrough A new-to-science species of praying mantis found in Iran has been named as a symbol of universal freedom.

There are plenty of scary creatures on Earth (and especially in the ocean), but one of the most powerful might come as a surprise. After all, it's pretty tiny.

The competition was stiff this year, with nearly 25,000 votes cast for the 21 nominees, but which bug came out on top?

The dactyl clubs act as a phononic shield, filtering high-frequency stress waves and preventing harmful vibrations from ...

A mantis shrimp's punch creates high-energy waves. Its exoskeleton is designed to absorb that energy, preventing cracking and tissue damage.

The mantis shrimp comes equipped with its own weapons. It has claws that look like permanently clenched fists that are known as dactyl clubs. But when it smashes the shells of its prey ...

Forget about Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali, the fastest punch in the world belongs to the mantis shrimp. This shrimp can smash a shell with the force of a .22 caliber bullet and remain intact despite the ...

Dactyl clubs are hammer-like structures located on each side of a mantis shrimp’s body. They store energy in elastic ...