What's this weird thingie I found on a tree? I have pics.

[Moochie]

Praying mantids are endangered?

I've fed them to my chickens before. Well.. No ones gonna notice.. Heh..

 

[itsy]

Nope - they are NOT endangered ....

 

[WooingWyandotte]

WHOA! You have those weird cocoonish things too? I practically grew up with those, never knowing what the heck they were.

Nice to know what they are.

 

[TroutsChicks]

tn has monster mantids!!! the egg cases are as large as my thumb!

 

[they'reHISchickens]

They don't look like any preying mantis case I've ever seen. The ones in SE PA are the size and shape of a marshmallow or just a tad smaller. Yes they have those little indentations all over like a honeycomb texture, but they are not long and narrow. I suspect it's another species of insect.
I suggest taking one to your local Agricultural Extension office. Most states with large universities have ag extension offices throughout the state and the people there are trained to look up beasties like that.

 

[Moochie]

I dropped it on the floor. I don't know where it is now. Well atleast I know what they are now.

 

[sourland]

Quote:
You'll know for sure when they hatch. As a kid I stuck several dozen of the larger, rounder mantis egg cases behind the radiator in our bathroom. They all hatched at the same time.

To say the least, Mom was not happy.

 

[RHRanch]

Quote:
In 1992, we were living in Miami Beach, Florida, (we are native Philadelphians). Every thing was completely alien to what we were used to...trick-or-treating was different, lizards moved into our jack-o-lantern, had to turn on AC to cook Thanksgiving turkey....and the Christmas tree was imported all the way from North Carolina and cost $85 (fot a similar tree this year, I paid $45) so that was expensive. But, we noticed this little walnut-sized ball attached to one of the branches, and just figured, for the price of the tree, at least they threw in a free ornament. Well, on New Years Day, 1993, that cute little ornament gave birth to mmmmilllllllions of tiny little space aliens (praying mantises) that marched steadily toward the sun.....all over my childrens' Christmas presents under the tree.That's when I learned what a "blood-curdling scream" really sounded like! My son was 5, my daughter 3.
So, short answer long.....put that thing back outside, quick, before you are visited by the hordes of little space monsters. BTW, they are an endangered species and cannot be harmed. Good luck!

mm

Most awesome story, ever! I'm sure not very funny at the time, though.......

Same thing happened to us one year. Tiny mantises all over the carpet, walls and cieling. Whole family combing over everything with mail trying to shoo them into cups and mason jars. lol

 

[hemet dennis]

this is a picture of a Praying mantis egg casing

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Uh oh...you've made momma angry: