Chinese Praying Mantis (Ootheca)
Scientific Name: Tenodera sinensis
Order & Family: Order: Mantodea, Family: Mantidae
Size: 25 mm to 40 mm (length of the egg case)
Natural Habitat
Found in gardens, meadows, and shrubbery across North America and Asia.
Diet & Feeding
Nymphs emerge to eat small insects; adults are generalist predators of insects and even small vertebrates.
Behavior Patterns
The female lays eggs in a frothy liquid that hardens into a protective, papery mass (ootheca) to overwinter.
Risks & Benefits
Beneficial to gardens as natural pest control, though they may also consume other beneficial insects like pollinators.
Identified on: 12/28/2025