7Observing Change

Growing and

Molting

Have you ever outgrown something?

Just l ike babies, caterpi l lars eat a large amount of food and grow

rapidly.

But their skin is actual ly a r igid

external skeleton cal led an

exoskeleton.

As they eat and grow their soft bodies outgrow

their exoskeleton and have to grow a

new one!

Molting is when an insects sheds their exoskeleton and

grow a new one. The

exoskeleton near the head splits just like clothing that doesn’t fit and it begins to fall off.

How can you tell that the Butterfly has molted?

It is like they leave their clothes on the floor!

You will see a discarded black skin and a rounded head capsule.

You may not see the skin, because the caterpillar sometimes eats the exoskeleton.

You will also noticed the spinning left by the caterpillar after a molt!

•After the molt, the caterpillar’s bristles and exoskeleton are extremely pale.