Ootheca

An ootheca /oʊ.əˈθiːkə/ (pl.: oothecae /oʊ.əˈθiːsiː/) is a type of egg capsule made by any member of a variety of species including mollusks (such as Turbinella laevigata), mantises, and cockroaches.^[1][2][3]

Mantis ootheca

Etymology

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 is Greek for ovary.

Structure

Oothecae are made up of structural proteins and tanning agents that cause the protein to harden around the eggs, providing protection and stability.^[1] The production of ootheca convergently evolved across numerous insect species due to a selection for protection from parasites and other forms of predation, as the complex structure of the shell casing provides an evolutionary reproductive advantage (although the fitness and lifespan also depend on other factors such as the temperature of the incubating ootheca). ^[4][5] Oothecae are most notably found in the orders Blattodea (Cockroaches) and Mantodea (Praying mantids), as well as in the subfamilies Cassidinae (Coleoptera) and Korinninae (Phasmatodea).^[6]

Functions

The ootheca protects the eggs from microorganisms, parasitoids, predators, and weather. Its composition and appearance vary depending on species and environment.^[7][8][3]

Image gallery

• 
  Female cockroach (Periplaneta americana) with ootheca
• 
  Female cockroach (Blatella germanica) with ootheca
• 
  Chinese mantis ootheca
• 
  Sagittal section of mantis ootheca (Hierodula patellifera) already hatched out
• 
  Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) ootheca in Ontario, Canada.
• 
  Damaged praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) ootheca in Ontario, Canada.
• 
  Praying mantis ootheca in Kerala, India
• 
  Ootheca of a blattodea
• 
  Blaptica dubia – ootheca in an artificial colony
• 
  Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa)

See also

• Sang piao xiao, mantis oothecae used in traditional Chinese medicine
• Egg cases, also known as egg capsules