During intermolt in the fifth instar nymph the epidermal cells are compact, with many mitochondria which appear dense, lack well defined cristae, and are considered relatively inactive. The cell membranes are much folded and show plasmodesmata and microvilli at the juxtaposition of two cell membranes. The endoplasmic reticulum is well formed and well supplied with ribosomes; in the compacted cells the reticular membranes may assume bizarre shapes such as a ball of concentric rings. The nuclei are small with inconspicuous nucleoli.