Which insect is sometimes called a “vicious predator”?

The praying mantis, sometimes known as a praying mantid, is a big flesh-eating bug found in warm climates across the world. Many decades ago, mantis species from Europe and China were brought to the northeastern United States for use as pest exterminators on farms and in gardens. These carnivorous insects, often known as "vicious predators", are among the rare insects that can swivel their heads to gaze over their shoulders, making them excellent hunters. When looking for food, they adopt a deceptively modest stance, as though their front legs are bowed in prayer. Mantises use their raptorial front legs, which extend out from their body, to capture their victims.

Mantises nearly always begin eating their capture while it is still alive, and they frequently begin chewing their victim's neck to finish the battle swiftly. Praying mantises consume a wide range of insects, including other mantises, beetles, butterflies, crickets, grasshoppers, and spiders. Small tree frogs, lizards, mice, hummingbirds, and other nesting birds are also eaten. They are extremely beneficial to agricultural workers because they reduce the numbers of "bad bugs" that damage fields.