A freshly moulted cricket is rather self-conscious

Molting is a big deal in a cricket’s life. We can’t grow like you do. Our hard outer shell doesn’t stretch, so every so often we have to split it open and crawl out. It’s like escaping a full body cast we outgrew. The thing is, right after a moult, our new body is soft, pale, and slightly damp. If you’re wondering why I look a bit inflated and awkward, it’s not because of what I ate; it’s because we crickets pump fluid into ourselves right after molting so that we expand to our new size before the shell hardens. You know, this can be a pretty scary time for us because, if something bumps us or bites us at this point the damage can stay with us for life! Each moult is risky, so hiding places like tree hollows are lifesavers. They’re dark, humid, and harder for predators to reach. The humidity is crucial because dry air can cause our new skin to harden too fast or unevenly. We go through this process several times before becoming adults and many of us don’t make it through all the shedding stages… it’s quite tragic. So if you ever find one of us looking ghostly and still, don’t worry. We aren’t sick. We’re just between outfits and hoping the world doesn’t notice.

This moment was captured by a Mahoora naturalist just outside the Mahoora Tented Safari Camp in Yala. The forest is teeming with remarkable insect life, and is often overshadowed by the park’s more famous wildlife. Take a moment to slow down and look around, and you’ll discover an extraordinary world of small, hidden creatures all around you.