ootheca

noun

oo·the·ca | \ ˌō-ə-ˈthē-kə

plural oothecae\ ˌō-ə-ˈthē-(ˌ)kē

, -(ˌ)sē \

Definition of ootheca

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

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Behind the female’s bottomless appetite is the extraordinary size of her egg case, or ootheca, a frothy proteinous mass studded with up to 400 eggs that can amount to half her body weight. — Natalie Angier, New York Times, "Birds Beware: The Praying Mantis Wants Your Brain," 22 Sep. 2017

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