Mantid Ootheca (Egg Case)

Found attached to twigs, stems, walls, or fences in gardens and wooded areas.

The developing nymphs do not eat until they hatch; once hatched, they are carnivorous, eating any small insects they can capture.

The female produces a frothy secretion that hardens into a protective, papery case called an ootheca. It protects the eggs from predators and freezing temperatures through winter until spring hatching.

Highly beneficial to gardens as they hatch into hundreds of praying mantises that act as natural pest control. They pose no risk to humans.