A moment we sometimes wait hours just to watch - the inevitable yet often unseen process of a caterpillar molting its exoskeleton in order to grow larger! And what better caterpillar to demonstrate than the magnificently colorful larva of our cecropia moth, Hyalophora cecropia. The most reliable way we can determine that a caterpillar is getting close to shedding (aka pre-shed) is by looking at its head. At the beginning of the video, look at the dark head capsule of the cecropia and you can see

3.2K views · 210 reactions | A Spiny Oak Slug Caterpillar Sheds its...