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 [edit]
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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
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See also [edit]
- Sang piao xiao, mantis oothecae used in traditional Chinese medicine
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Oothecae |
- Photo of a madagascar hissing cockroach ootheca
- Photograph of a praying mantis ootheca
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