molt

But researchers at the University of California, Riverside identified a biological weakness that termites cannot hide from: they have to molt.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

He was in molt, a sketchy splotch of red and black while he waited for his new plumage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

As they do yearly, Marine biologists and wildlife officials urge fans to respect Neil’s privacy and let him molt: The more peace he gets, the more we can look forward to his next visit.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

And crabs need that deep substrate to safely molt, or they risk being eaten by a hungry tankmate.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2025

Father cited scientific proof that birds often molt during hot weather.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

The final step in the metamorphosis, if all goes well: The case splits open, and the winged creature molts, ready to take its first flight in pursuit of prey, leaving the exuviae behind.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 11, 2022

A few days, a few molts, and a few milkweed leaves later, the caterpillar was about a half-inch long and fattening up, following a timetable nearly as reliable as a Swiss watch.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 20, 2019

Eggs hatch after four days, and the larvae grow over the course of seven to nine molts and five to six weeks, he said.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 2, 2014

Embryonic development is external and proceeds through larval stages separated by molts.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013

Although spawning occurs at sea, the young come into the estuaries and bays when a few weeks old to undergo successive molts and changes of form.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Pinky’s fame grew even as the bird bent, molted and faded with each turn of the calendar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

“The lobster has molted into its final form,” Steinberger wrote in a blog post about the name change—a nod at his platform’s lobster-centric branding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026

The only drawback is that smoked shrimp can be harder to peel — particularly thinner-shelled shrimp that have recently molted.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2023

After thriving for 70 million years or more, enantiornithines may have suddenly become vulnerable in the cold weather after the asteroid when they molted all their feathers at once.

From New York Times ● Jun. 3, 2023

It looked like an entire bird had molted all its feathers.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

They hoped to disrupt the molting process of cicada nymphs, which need to shed their outer layer to emerge as adults.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026

Elephant seals live in open water, but it’s common for them to return to where they were born for molting season, when they shed their topmost layer of skin and fur.

From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026

A detailed analysis revealed that the molting pattern was irregular rather than orderly.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2026

Filming took place between October and January, to avoid molting season.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025

The first thing he noticed was that the gull’s head was molting and turning white, though a dark brown patch remained behind each eye.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams