Black Swallowtail butterfly caterpillar eating his molted skin for extra nutrition. The caterpillar is white with black and yellow ends (stripes). The caterpillar is horizontal in the frame, facing ...

Depending on the species, cicadas emerge from their underground homes every two to 17 years. During their time outside, cicadas molt as part of their growth, undergoing a fascinating trasnformation.

Crabs must molt because their hard, calcified exoskeleton cannot grow with them. Before molting, they reabsorb calcium and weaken their old shell from the inside. During ecdysis, they painfully pull ...

If you liked this story, share it with other people. Supplementing soil with insects’ cast-off outer skin after a molt can help increase plant biomass, the number of flowers, pollinator attraction, ...

Tarantulas are one of many animals that undergo an energy-intensive molting process. When a tarantula sheds its exoskeleton, it can also regenerate lost or damaged limbs. Many people mistake a molting ...