ootheca

Mantis ootheca

An ootheca /oʊ.əˈθiːkə/ (pl. oothecae /oʊ.əˈθiːsiː/) is a type of egg mass made by any member of a variety of species (usually insects or mollusks).

The word is a latinized combination of oo-, meaning "egg", from the Greek word ōon (cf. Latin ovum), and theca, meaning a "cover" or "container", from the Greek theke. Ootheke in Greek means ovary.

An ootheca usually contains many eggs surrounded by a foam of protein which may then harden into a tough casing for protection. Notable ootheca-making insects are the mantis and cockroach.

Image Gallery

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  Female cockroach (Periplaneta fuliginosa) with ootheca

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  Female cockroach ootheca

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  Ootheca of Popa spurca with a 50 cent euro coin for size comparison

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  Cross section of mantis ootheca (Hierodula patellifera) already hatched out

See also

• Sang piao xiao, mantis oothecae used in traditional Chinese medicine

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Oothecae

• Photo of a madagascar hissing cockroach ootheca
• Photograph of a praying mantis ootheca

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