Explaining Insects 🦋 on Instagram: "The cicada shell is the result of molting, a process called ecdysis, in which a cicada sheds its old exoskeleton after emerging from the ground. When a cicada nymph has fully developed underground, it climbs onto a tree, wall, or other surface and splits its hardened outer skin. The adult cicada slowly pulls itself out, leaving behind the empty shell—known as an exuvia. This shell is a dry, hollow replica of the nymph’s body and often remains clinging to surf

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