What is ootheca in biology?

An ootheca /oʊ. əˈθiːkə/ (pl. oothecae /oʊ. əˈθiːsiː/) is a type of egg mass made by any member of a variety of species including mollusks (such as Turbinella laevigata), mantises, and cockroaches. The word is a Latinized combination of oo-, meaning “egg”, from the Greek word ōon (cf.

What are Oothecas made of?

Oothecae are comprised of cross-linked protein only, without the chitin that stabilizes the cuticle.

What is ootheca in cockroach?

An ootheca (plural oothecae) is an egg mass produced by several different groups of insects. Most notably Praying mantids and cockroaches. Some species of cockroach produce an ootheca but then carry them at the end of their abdomen. This allows the female to protect the ootheca.

How big is an ootheca?

What Do Cockroach Eggs Look Like? The American cockroach’s ootheca is dark brown in color and averages 8 mm in length. One female may create six to 90 oothecae in her lifetime.

What is the medical dictionary definition of ootheca?

1. An egg case found in some lower animals. 2. Rarely used term for ovary. The usually hardened egg case of certain invertebrates, such as a cockroach. The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2007, 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

What kind of egg case is an ootheca?

Definition of ootheca. : a firm-walled and distinctive egg case (as of a cockroach)

Why are oothecae important to the life of an insect?

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 ootheca convergently evolved across numerous insect species due to a selection for protection from parasites and other forms of predation,…

Where are the oothecae found in the world?

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).