ootheca

American  

[oh-uh-thee-kuh] / ˌoʊ əˈθi kə /

noun

• oothecae
  plural

1. a case or capsule containing eggs, as that of certain gastropods and insects.

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ootheca British  

/ ˌəʊəˈθiːkə /

noun

1. a capsule containing eggs that is produced by some insects and molluscs

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• oothecal
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• oothecae
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ootheca

From New Latin, dating back to 1850–55; see origin at oo-, theca

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ootheca oothecae

The difficulty of securing enough calories to fabricate an ootheca may help explain why females of some mantid species famously engage in sexual cannibalism — consuming their mates after, or even during, copulation.

From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2017

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.

From New York Times ● Sep. 22, 2017

During winter, when trees and shrubs have lost their leaves, the insects' oothecae, brown, spongy egg cases measuring about 2 to 3 cm, become easy to spot on branches.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

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