Ootheca
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Image:Blatella germanica cdc.jpg Image:Mantis egg 2005 Spring 001.jpg An ootheca is a type of egg mass made by any member of a variety of species (usually insects or mollusks).
The word is a combination of oo-, meaning “egg”, from the Greek word oion, and theca, meaning a “cover” or “container”, from the Greek theke.
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 mantid and cockroach.
[edit] External links
- Gallery with oothecae of various mantis species
- Photograph of a praying mantis ootheca
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