Ootheca
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ootheca An ootheca ( : oothecae ) is a type of egg capsule made by any member of a variety of animal groups such as mollusks, mantises, and cockroaches. It is also referred to by its shortened nickname, "ooth".
ootheca]] An ootheca ( : oothecae ) is a type of egg capsule made by any member of a variety of animal groups such as mollusks, mantises, and cockroaches. It is also referred to by its shortened nickname, "ooth".
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. The production of oothecae 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). Oothecae are most notably found in the orders Blattodea (cockroaches) and Mantodea (praying mantises), as well as in the subfamilies Cassidinae (Coleoptera) and Corinninae (Phasmatodea).
Functions
The ootheca protects the eggs from microorganisms, parasitoids, predators, and exposure. Its composition and appearance vary depending on species and environment.
Image gallery
File:Cockroach egglaying 1.jpg|Female cockroach (Periplaneta americana) discharging ootheca File:Blatella germanica cdc.jpg|Female cockroach (Blatella germanica) discharging ootheca Mantis ootheca in Marine Park (91115).jpg|Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) ootheca File:Mantis ootheca Sliced open (Hierodula patellifera).jpg|Sagittal section of hatched-out mantis ootheca (Hierodula patellifera) File:Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa religiosa) Ootheca 02.jpg|Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) ootheca in Ontario, Canada. File:Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa religiosa) Ootheca 06.jpg|Damaged praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) ootheca in Ontario, Canada. File:Mantodea oothecae-Kadavoor-2016-03-25-001.jpg|Praying mantis ootheca in Kerala, India File:Ootheca of a Blattodea.jpg|Ootheca of a blattodean File:Blaptica dubia ootéka.jpg|alt=Blaptica dubia|Blaptica dubia ootheca in an artificial colony Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) ootheca Cap Bon.jpg|Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) File:Fossil-grasshopper-eggs.png|Fossil ootheca Subterroothecichnus radialis, produced by a grasshopper
See also
Sang piao xiao, mantis oothecae used in traditional Chinese medicine
External links
Photo of a madagascar hissing cockroach ootheca
Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1372555741 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.