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| 5th instar Cecropia caterpillar |
As we suspected, the caterpillars molted again! We're a little confused about what this means. Are they still in the 5th instar stage? Do they change twice in the 5th instar stage? We need to do some research.
Unlike with previous molts, the caterpillars' appearance was nearly unchanged after this molt. However we did note more pronounced black spots on the tail horns and an angling of the back horns. The suctions on the feet are also much larger.
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| Bottom caterpillar is mid-molt. You can see that the yellow spikes don't have black rings or spots yet. These develop over a few hours. |
I was able to capture video of the last parts of the molt, during which the caterpillars shed their skin.
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