Another insect ootheca was spotted at a vernal pool located near the terminus of the Hike-Bike Trail, Huntley Meadows Park. This is a Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) egg case, as indicated by the distinctive roundish shape of the ootheca. Chinese Mantis is a non-native species.
14 JAN 2016 | Huntley Meadows Park | Chinese Mantis ootheca
The Backstory: It was my good fortune to observe a controlled burn at Huntley Meadows Park on 14 January 2016. One of the target fields is located near the “accidental vernal pool,” my nickname for one of several vernal pools at the end of the Hike-Bike Trail. While I was in the neighborhood, I decided to look around for Autumn Meadowhawks in the hope of extending the state record late-date for dragonflies. Although I didn’t see any dragonflies, I spotted another Chinese Mantis egg case located near two other oothecae observed on 03 January.
Copyright © 2016 Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
Tags: Chinese Mantis, egg case, Hike-Bike Trail, Huntley Meadows Park, mantis, ootheca, vernal pool, wildlife photography
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