Ootheca

Female cockroach (Blatella germanica) with ootheca

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.

External links

[Gallery] with oothecae of various mantis species
[Photograph] of a praying mantis ootheca

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