exuvia

This term is primarily used in biological and entomological contexts to describe the physical remains of a molting process. It carries a clinical, descriptive tone and is rarely used in casual conversation unless discussing nature or science.

While the word is often used as a collective or uncountable noun to describe the material left behind, it can function as a countable noun when referring to individual cast-off shells. In technical literature, it is frequently paired with adjectives like pale, translucent, or discarded to emphasize the ghostly appearance of the exoskeleton.