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Moult (or molt, if you’re from the USA): noun; (of birds, mammals, arthropods, etc.) to shed (feathers, hair, or cuticle) in order that new growth can take place (Collins Concise Dictionary).

240710 Eupterycyba jucunda (2)

Last week, when checking the leaves of Italian alder, I found tiny creatures on almost every leaf. They were the various stages of the leafhopper Eupterycyba jucunda, from nymph to adult, and, amazingly, I even caught one in the middle of its moult from one stage to the next. The images below show an early stage nymph on the left and an adult on the right.

240710 Eupterycyba jucunda (1)