ecdysis

Growth occurs by molting, or ecdysis. In many arachnids the first molt occurs while the animal is still within the egg. The newly hatched arachnid is small, and the exoskeleton is less sclerotized (hardened) than that of the adult. With the exception of the mites and ticks and the ricinuleids,…

…a process termed molting or ecdysis. This process is under hormonal control and involves the secretion of a new cuticle below the old one. Hardening (sclerotization) may be accompanied by pigmentation.

• In regeneration: Arthropods

  In all arthropods regeneration is associated with molting, and therefore takes place only during larval or young stages. Most insects do not initiate leg regeneration unless there remains ample time prior to the next scheduled molt for the new leg to complete its development. If amputation is performed…

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  In scorpion: Reproduction and life cycle

  …is accompanied by molting (ecdysis). Scorpions molt an average of five times (the range is four to nine) before reaching maturity. The number of molts in some species is variable. In some Centruroides, for example, small males mature after four molts and large males after five. There are no…

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  In spider: Maturation

  They shed their skins (molt) as they increase in size. The number of molts varies among species, within a species, and even among related young of the same sex. Males generally mature earlier and have fewer molts (2 to 8) than females have (6 to 12). Males of some…

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…in arthropods by molting, or ecdysis, the periodic shedding of the old exoskeleton. The underlying cells release enzymes that digest the base of the old exoskeleton (much of the endocuticle) and then secrete a new exoskeleton beneath the old one. At the time of actual shedding, the old skeleton splits…

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  In crustacean: Exoskeleton

  (2) Ecdysis, or the actual shedding of the old exoskeleton, takes place when the old exoskeleton splits along preformed lines. In the lobster it splits between the carapace and the abdomen, and the body is withdrawn through the hole, leaving the old exoskeleton almost intact. In…

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  In insect: Egg

  …a series of molts (ecdyses) during which new and larger cuticles form and old cuticles are shed. Molting makes possible large changes in body form.

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  In lepidopteran: Larva, or caterpillar

  …of the small leaf miners molt only twice. When starved, the larvae of clothes moths (Tineola) have been known to have a dozen molts, sometimes accompanied by a decrease in size.

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  In lepidopteran: Larva, or caterpillar

  …exoskeleton in a process called ecdysis. With plant matter being relatively easy to find and eat, it is not surprising that moth and butterfly larvae are fundamentally quite uniform, despite their apparent diversity.

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  In louse: Life cycle

  …lice is simple, the nymphs molting three times, each of the three stages between molts (instars) becoming larger and more like the adult. The duration of the different stages of development varies from species to species and within each species according to temperature. In the human louse the egg stage…

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  In mayfly: Life cycle

  As many as 50 molts (periodic shedding of skin) may occur, depending on the species and the environment. When growth is complete, the nymphal skin splits down the back and a winged form, called the subimago, or dun, emerges. The subimago flies from the surface of the water to…

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