The stage of an arthropod's life cycle between molts (shedding of the exoskeleton). As an example, the third instar is the stage of the life cycle between the second and third molting cycles. Some arthropods molt throughout their entire life and may have as many as 30 instars. Insects tend to have a set number of instars, the number varying by species. The instars succeed one another until the final mature instar, when the organism stops molting.
