Egg Case

[Roachman26]

Anyone know what sort of insect makes this sort of egg case?

 

[Ralph]

Stagmomantis species.

 

[Roachman26]

Stagmomantis species.

Thanks Ralph. Once I got the name, I did a google search and checked them out. I'm in Southern California and I've never seen any mantids anywhere in my area. I just bought a bunch of Chinese and European egg cases because I didn't know there were any around. I just used that gate a few months ago in winter and there was no egg case there at that time. I would have thought they would lay in the fall for a spring hatch, but this one apparently laid in the Spring. Will it hatch without a diapause? I don't want to mess with it, so I'll just watch it daily to see if I can catch them hatching. I'll try to get some photos.

 

[Ralph]

At this time of year you shouldn't need a diapause if you were out here in the Midwest, but I don't know about California. Probably not, though. They tend to hatch in the morning, after rain because it's safest from predators. How many Chinese/European ooths did you buy? There's a lot of eggs in one of those!

 

[Roachman26]

At this time of year you shouldn't need a diapause if you were out here in the Midwest, but I don't know about California. Probably not, though. They tend to hatch in the morning, after rain because it's safest from predators. How many Chinese/European ooths did you buy? There's a lot of eggs in one of those!

Umm, lets just say a few. From what I read there are 200-400 in each ooth.

 

[blatta70]

I know this topic is old, but I believe that this egg case may be from the Mediterranean Mantis (Iris oratoria) which are quite common in southern California.