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| First instar Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus |
Most juvenile arthropods experience stages between molting known as
instars, or stadiums. It is a period of
rapid growth after molting and before the hardening of the new cuticle. While mass changes during an instar,
sclerotized parts change in size only during a molt. The number of instars varies for each arthropod, and in some species, between individuals. Many assassin bugs, for example, have
five instars where the immature nymphs resemble adults, but are wingless. Although instars vary per species, energy is critical in this stage for adequate growth to reach the adult form.
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