What is metamorphosis in insects?
Quick Answer
Metamorphosis is the dramatic change insects undergo as they grow, often from egg to larva to pupa to adult. In complete metamorphosis, the larval and adult stages can look and live very differently.
The Full Story
Metamorphosis in insects is the developmental process that transforms a juvenile into an adult through distinct life stages. Many insects, including butterflies, beetles, flies, and bees, undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Others, such as grasshoppers and true bugs, undergo incomplete metamorphosis, where young forms called nymphs resemble small adults and develop without a pupal stage. This life strategy helps reduce competition between young and adults because they often eat different foods and live in different habitats. The term comes from Greek and has been central to insect biology since early naturalists studied insect life cycles in the 1600s and 1700s.
Key Facts
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