What is the process called when the mosquito sheds its exoskeleton during growth?

What is the process called when the mosquito sheds its exoskeleton during growth?

• A. Exoskeleton
• B. Larva
• C. Molting
• D. Proboscis

Answer: (C)

The growth of insects with an outer skeleton happens by shedding that hard covering. In mosquitoes, as they increase in size through their larval stages, they periodically molt, shedding the old exoskeleton and forming a new, larger one. This process is called molting (also known as ecdysis). The other options don’t describe a process: the exoskeleton is the outer covering itself, the larva is a life stage, and the proboscis is a mouthpart. Molting is the correct term for the shedding that enables growth.

The growth of insects with an outer skeleton happens by shedding that hard covering. In mosquitoes, as they increase in size through their larval stages, they periodically molt, shedding the old exoskeleton and forming a new, larger one. This process is called molting (also known as ecdysis). The other options don’t describe a process: the exoskeleton is the outer covering itself, the larva is a life stage, and the proboscis is a mouthpart. Molting is the correct term for the shedding that enables growth.