Praying Mantis Egg Sacs

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.

Praying mantis egg sacs. 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. The eggs of a mantis are enclosed in a foamy pouch called an ootheca or egg sack. Watch the amazing process as they crawl out and morph into their regular shape. Tiny mantis nymphs hatch from their eggs while still inside the egg case.

The ootheca protects the eggs until they hatch. 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. 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.

The entire egg sack is known as ootheca. 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 foamy case insulates the offspring from the cold and provides them with some protection from predators. Praying mantises typically lay their eggs in late summer or fall and the young develop within the ootheca over the winter months.

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. For reference here is a picture of a chinese mantis egg case ootheca. Our praying mantis egg sack hatched one afternoon. Mantises are the closest relatives of cockroaches.

When the female produces the ootheca it is soft but very quickly it will dry to become firm en tough.