Praying mantis

Oh no, I wish I had not destroyed it!

Yep, praying mantis ootheca.

If it makes you feel any better for destroying before identifying, I'll say that mantids are not particularly welcome in my gardens, where they snatch more of the good guys than pests.

If you ever find a pile of crumpled butterfly wings in the flower bed, you'll know that you've got mantids at work. They also lay in wait in the flowers where bees frequent, which is a punishable crime, in my opinion.

Good point, mine was found in a meadow in a local nature area, from what I found online it appears to be of a Chinese Mantis and not a European mantis. Based on my experience, this is the first ootheca I have ever seen anywhere in my area, and I have seen very few adult mantid in the same areas so I would not consider them in enough concentration in these areas to pose a threat to any of the insects they feed on. They are after all an "import" intended to control pests in controlled environments so any time they "escape" they can, in concentration, become a "pest" themselves, so your point is well taken.