Praying mantis egg case 桑螵蛸 is one of the curious items in Chinese medical herbology. That it is sometimes found on the mulberry tree probably earned its name and alerted to its medical significance: 桑 Sang is the mulberry tree and virtually every part of it: from the bark to the branch to the fruit to the leaf and even the silk worm that feeds on it, is important in Chinese herbal medicine. But what imagination would connect the mantis casing with the treatment of spermatorrhea, premature ejaculation, frequent urination or vaginal discharge, conditions that are described as insecurity of kidney essence in Chinese medicine! Exactly that was done as early as the second century and recorded in the Divine Husbandman's Classic of the Materia Medica. What's important is that it does work for those conditions and the mantis egg case is commonly used today in the formulation Sang Piao Xiao San. The casing shown in the pics above is a gift from my friend Paul. It is a live one with developing nymphs inside. I have placed it in my garden and hoping to see many praying mantises this Summer.