# Which way is up for an ootheca?



## Martin (May 1, 2021)

I have two oothecas (Chinese mantis) but I'm not sure which way should be pointing up and which way should be pointing down when I hang them. They both have a flattish side and a more round side. I assumed the flatter side is up, because the round side kind of looked like it was drooping down from gravity, am I correct? I've attached a picture showing the flat side facing up and right. There was a groove from a twig (which didn't come with the ootheca) that I placed facing/against the wood on the left. Also, the flattish side isn't facing directly up since it's more on angle, due to my incompetence and bad planning in trying to get it properly attached. The other ootheca does have the flat side facing more upward. Will having it slanted affect it?

I did Google it but kept on seeing conflicting or unclear info, and a mention of a "vent" on an ootheca which I didn't understand.


----------



## hibiscusmile (May 2, 2021)

I think you have it backwards. they have something that looks like a zipper and that is the side that they hatch from, the angle you have is fine, just not sure if it is backwards or not, can we see the front?


----------



## Martin (May 3, 2021)

Here are a few pictures. There's two different oothecas in the photos: The one I attached to the wood and the one I'm holding by hand. The one on the wood has two grooves, a small groove where I put the white thread along that you can see, and a large groove on the other side against the wood. The side with the large groove is also more concave, whereas the side with the small groove is rounder and more convex. The one I'm holding also has the small twig still in it, whereas the one on the wood didn't have a twig. Are the two grooves a sign that the ootheca was formed at a fork on a branch, so ended up having two grooves from two twigs? They both have the same general appearance, with a side that has a bit of flatness to it which I had thought was the top. The one I'm holding I'm trying to hatch using a hanging mesh plastic bag, so it's easier to remove. I didn't want to remove the one from the wood, I'm worried about handling them too much.

I'm hoping I can get advice on both of them, about which side should be the top. What happens if you do have the ootheca upside down? Does it usually not hatch?


----------



## MantisGirl13 (May 4, 2021)

Martin said:


> Here are a few pictures. There's two different oothecas in the photos: The one I attached to the wood and the one I'm holding by hand. The one on the wood has two grooves, a small groove where I put the white thread along that you can see, and a large groove on the other side against the wood. The side with the large groove is also more concave, whereas the side with the small groove is rounder and more convex. The one I'm holding also has the small twig still in it, whereas the one on the wood didn't have a twig. Are the two grooves a sign that the ootheca was formed at a fork on a branch, so ended up having two grooves from two twigs? They both have the same general appearance, with a side that has a bit of flatness to it which I had thought was the top. The one I'm holding I'm trying to hatch using a hanging mesh plastic bag, so it's easier to remove. I didn't want to remove the one from the wood, I'm worried about handling them too much.
> 
> I'm hoping I can get advice on both of them, about which side should be the top. What happens if you do have the ootheca upside down? Does it usually not hatch?
> 
> ...


Your ooths are upside down, and also, the string is covering the part where the nymphs emerge. I suggest moving it.

- MantisGirl13


----------



## Martin (May 4, 2021)

Thanks MantisGirl, I flipped them over. I've seen some sites/videos mentioning that you can take the flat part of the ooth and glue the flat part to the underside of the lid, which I took to mean the flat side is the top of the ooth and should be pointing upwards. Are they referring to something else other than what I interpreted as the flat side?

Edit: I should also mention, I don't have the piece of wood lying flat on the ground, it's standing up at an angle (resting against the enclosure wall) so that the flat part in the photo is pointing mostly upwards (like in the first two pictures in my second post, with the top of the picture corresponding to toward the sky)


----------



## Martin (May 4, 2021)

Here are some new pics with the new orientation. I also got rid of the string going along the groove. I hope I finally got it right, is it properly right side up now?


----------



## hibiscusmile (May 4, 2021)

Much better. where did you get it again?


----------



## Martin (May 4, 2021)

Probably not the best place to get oothecas, but I got them at Canadian Tire.


----------



## hibiscusmile (May 9, 2021)

humm, never heard of it.


----------

