Tammy Trevor, age 7, of Pittsburgh, pa., for his question:

Can an insect turn its head?

The smallest waists in the animal world belong to the insects. These

bitsy creatures also have very tiny necks. But as a rule the neck does nothing more than divide the head from the thorax or chest. The ant cannot turn its little head, and the busy bee cannot glance around over its shoulder.

So far as we know only the mantis insects can turn their heads. One of these is the praying mantis who waits hidden among the foliage all ready to pounce upon other insects that come strolling by. She is a big insect, two or three inches long, and as a rule she is dressed in 1eafy wings to match her 1eafy background. She has a pair of large red eyes, and the praying mantis and her mantis cousins can turn their heads.