Molting occurs frequently when a sp

Molting occurs frequently when a spider is young, and some spiders may continue to molt throughout their life. At the appropriate time, hormones tell the spider's body to absorb some of the lower cuticle layer in the exoskeleton and begin secreting cuticle material to form the new exoskeleton. The new exoskeleton is typically folded to some extent, so it can expand once the spider sheds the older one. The spider also secretes a molting fluid between the old exoskeleton and the new one. Once the new exoskeleton is finished, the spider absorbs the molting fluid. This creates a gap between the two exoskeletons, which makes it easier to separate them.