Ootheca

File:Mantis egg 2005 Spring 001.jpg

An ootheca Template:IPAc-en (Template:Plural form: oothecae Template:IPAc-en) is a type of egg capsule made by any member of a variety of species including mollusks (such as Turbinella laevigata), mantises, and cockroaches.<ref name="P. americana">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Turbinella" />

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.<ref name="P. americana"/> 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). <ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Functions

The ootheca protects the eggs from microorganisms, parasitoids, predators, and weather. Its composition and appearance vary depending on species and environment.<ref name="Insekten">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Turbinella">Template:Cite journal</ref>