Female cockroach (Blatella germanica) with ootheca

Mantis ootheca

Ootheca of Popa Spurca

An ootheca (pl. oothecae) is a type of egg mass made by any member of a variety of species (usually insects or mollusks). In most Birds and Reptiles an egg ( Latin ovum) is the Zygote, resulting from Fertilization of the Ovum. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Molluscs are animals belonging to the phylum Mollusca. There are around 250000 extant Species within the phylum with an estimated 70000

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. Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl Notable ootheca-making insects are the mantid and cockroach. The Insect order Mantodea or mantises consists of approximately 2000 species worldwide in Temperate and Tropical habitats of Cockroaches (or simply "roaches" are Insects of the order Blattaria.

External links

• Photo of a madagascar hissing cockroach ootheca
• Photograph of a praying mantis ootheca