As you bring in the Christmas tree, a word of caution. This is the egg case of a Chinese Praying Mantis (Tenodera sinensis). Check your tree for it before you bring in the potential to have up to 400 tiny Chinese Praying Mantises wandering around in your house. If you happen to discover the egg case after the tree is set up and being decorated, clip the egg case off and destroy it. Chinese Praying Mantises eat many good insects as well as our native Carolina Praying Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina).

This egg case, called an ootheca, is attached to a beautiful red stem of a Blueberry Bush (Cyanococcus). It’s a tiny bit smaller than a ping pong ball.

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