Observations of the Spotted Tussock Moth Larval Stage: page 3
We were able to observe the molt from the 4th to 5th instar closely. It was amazing to see the caterpillar crawl out of its “old” skin. The process took about half an hour. First the old black colored “head” came off revealing the new bright yellow head underneath. The new head turned black over a period of a few hours. The newly emerged caterpillar was wet but gradually dried out and assumed its normal “fluffy” appearance.
