The egg-laying process of a mantis is the creation of a protective structure called an ootheca. After finding a suitable spot, the female fixes her abdomen and presses its tip against a surface. From glands in her ovipositor, she secretes a thick, protein-rich foam and shapes it with her abdomen to form a base attached to a branch or object. She keeps adding foam, molding it into oval or elongated shapes depending on the species. As it slightly hardens, she lays her eggs one by one in neat layer