INSTAR

Instar

An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt, until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or changes in the number of body segments. Some arthropods can continue to molt after sexual maturity, but these subsequent molts are generally not called instars.

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instar

Noun

  1. Any one of the several stages of postembryonic development which an arthropod undergoes, between molts, before it reaches sexual maturity.
  2. An arthropod at a specified one of these stages of development.
  3. A stage in development.

Verb

  1. To stud with stars.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: instar
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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