What is the term for the long process of shedding skin and growing in insects?

The term that specifically refers to the process of shedding the exoskeleton in insects is ecdysis. This is a crucial part of an insect's lifecycle, allowing for growth and development by enabling the insect to discard its old, rigid outer layer and make way for a larger one. Ecdysis occurs multiple times throughout an insect’s life, particularly in the stages of larva and adolescent phases, and is vital for their growth since the exoskeleton does not stretch.

Metamorphosis describes a more comprehensive transformation process that includes various stages such as larva, pupa, and adult forms, but it does not specifically refer to the shedding process itself. Molting is often used interchangeably with ecdysis in casual terminology, but the technically correct term is ecdysis when discussing the physiological aspect of the shedding process. Development is a broader term that encompasses all changes that an insect goes through during its life cycle, including ecdysis and metamorphosis.