Bugs That Shed Their Bodies

Cicadas

• Cicadas are pests that feed on many crops and trees and are common in all areas of the United States. During breeding season, cicadas often gather in large swarms. They have large wings, wide bodies and measure 1 to 2 inches in length. Cicadas are known for their songs, a loud chirping sound made by the male of the species by vibrating a region of its exoskeleton. The nymphs develop into adults by molting their exoskeleton and leaving a fully-formed shell on trees.

Bed Bugs

• Bed bugs are tiny, flat insects that feed on blood. Prior to eating they are white and partially translucent, but they become reddish brown after feeding on blood. They leave tiny, itchy bites on their hosts. Bed bugs molt five times in their life cycle and people frequently discover they have a bed bug infestation after noticing bed bug exoskeletons in their sheets. Bed bugs can survive many months without eating, making them particularly difficult to eradicate.

Beetles

• Beetles are members of the insect order Coleoptera and are among the most common insects in the world. Almost half of all known insects are beetles. They have a hard, shiny exoskeleton and small heads with wings that lie flat against their bodies. Most beetles that live in the United States are black, and all beetles molt. They begin as worm-like larvae that shed their exoskeletons between five and 20 times. After the first molting, beetles become pupae, which resemble adults. At each subsequent molting, the beetle becomes larger and looks more like an adult.

Stick Insects

• Stick insects, members of the insect order Phasmida, are camouflaged to resemble sticks and leaves. Most have long, narrow bodies and can easily be mistaken for parts of trees or shrubs. They eat a variety of vegetation and molt several times in their life cycle. Juvenile stick insects that lose limbs can regenerate these limbs during the process of molting.