Question

While making your bed one morning, you encounter the shed cuticle (composed of the polysaccharide chitin) that was left by a small anima that had been crawling through your bed sheets. The body is approximately half an inch long, and it appears to be divided into two functional body segments. One of the segments possesses a number of paired jointed appendages, and the other segment is legless. It appears that the animal shed the cuticle several days ago, and I'm sure its no longer in your bed... what kind of animal shed its cuticle in your sheets?

Answer 1

The shed cuticle found in your bed sheets is characteristic of an arthropod, likely an insect larva such as a beetle larva or caterpillar, which has a chitinous exoskeleton that requires periodic molting to accommodate growth.

Step-by-step explanation:

The animal that shed its cuticle in your sheets is likely an arthropod, a group that includes insects, crustaceans, and others. The chitinous exoskeleton of an arthropod is essential for protection and support but does not grow with the animal, necessitating periodic molting, known as ecdysis. Noting that the cuticle is divided into two segments with the second segment lacking legs, and given its size (approximately half an inch), it is probable that the shed cuticle comes from an insect in its larval stage, for instance, a beetle larva or a caterpillar.

An arthropod's body structure commonly depicts a segmented organization comprising the head, thorax, and abdomen. However, some larval forms may appear with fewer visible segments. This complexity of body structure, combined with the presence of jointed appendages, forms the basis of the extraordinary diversity seen within the arthropods. Their strong yet flexible chitin-based exoskeletons serve numerous functions from muscle attachment points to barriers against dehydration.