Praying Mantis Egg Sacs

The entire egg sack is known as ootheca.

Praying mantis egg sacs. Tiny mantis nymphs hatch from their eggs while still inside the egg case. You can find praying mantis egg sacs in much of north america but in colder regions you may have to resort to purchasing them for use in the garden. Watch the amazing process as they crawl out and morph into their regular shape. The foamy case insulates the offspring from the cold and provides them with some protection from predators.

Each species of praying mantis has a slightly different shaped and sized ootheca. Yes praying mantises have been known to deposit egg cases called ootheca oothecae on various types of vegetation including the trees that we love to decorate at christmas time. T he praying mantis egg sack is made up of a frothy liquid which hardens the overall casing and protect the eggs from external threats. The eggs of a mantis are enclosed in a foamy pouch called an ootheca or egg sack.

The female lays 10 to 200 or sometimes up to 300 eggs over the period of few weeks. A chinese mantis egg case oothaca. When the female produces the ootheca it is soft but very quickly it will dry to become firm en tough. They have a complex life cycle which starts with cannibalistic mating and encompasses an overwintering egg period followed by a nymph stage and finally adulthood.

The ootheca protects the eggs until they hatch. For reference here is a picture of a chinese mantis egg case ootheca. Praying mantis oothecae have a light tan brown color that blends in with its surroundings and a dense papery bubbly texture almost like spray foam insulation. Every species of mantis has a different color size and shape of ootheca.

Caught my african mantis laying another egg sack this was her last 1 of 4 she layed 1 every few weeks they never hatched as she never mated.