Spider shedding its skin (Part 2)

Konica Minolta Dynax 7D
Sigma 50-500 f4-6.3 APO EX
Extension tubes
2x teleconverter
off-camera Minolta Program 3600 HS D flash

Part two (and last) in the series of the molting Linyphia triangularis. Part one showed this spider still trying to get its legs out of the old skin. Here we see it dangling from its old skin by its behind. After all the work it had to do to get out of the tight old shell, it hung rather quietly.

However, in this part of the process important work is still to be done! Spiders shed their old skin to be able to grow. The skin is actually an exoskeleton and once in place it doesn't grow anymore. After shedding the old exoskeleton, the underlying new one is still soft and flexible. During a relatively short period after the molt, the spider will have to expand the soft new skin before it dries and hardens on contact with air.

Spiders are extremely vulnerable during the whole proces of molting, because any disturbance may cause damage to the new skeleton. In addition the spider is not or hardly able to defend itself, so that even some species that are usually prey become spider predator for a short while. Malnutrition, dehydration and adverse weather conditions can also cause problems. They may either make a spider to weak to shed its old skin, or the new skin itself may become too weak.