Knowra Larva Larva A larva is an immature animal stage that differs markedly from the adult in form, habitat, or diet. It often feeds or lives independently before transforming into another stage.
Metamorphosis : A developmental process in which an animal changes body form between life stages. Larvae undergo metamorphosis to acquire the anatomy and way of life of adults.
Embryo : An animal in the early stages of development before birth or hatching. The embryo typically develops before the free-living larval stage begins.
Caterpillar : The larval stage of a butterfly or moth, typically with a long body and chewing mouthparts. Caterpillars exemplify feeding larvae that differ sharply from winged adults.
Plankton : Organisms that drift in water and are carried mainly by currents. Many aquatic larvae are planktonic, dispersing far from where they hatched.
Ecdysis : The periodic shedding of an animal’s outer cuticle or exoskeleton. Many larvae must molt as their bodies grow within a rigid outer covering.
Nymph (biology) : An immature stage of an insect with incomplete metamorphosis, usually resembling a smaller adult. Nymphs are often mistaken for larvae, but they develop gradually toward adult form.
Tadpole : The aquatic larval stage of a frog or toad, usually with a tail and gills. Tadpoles occupy aquatic habitats before transforming into mostly terrestrial adults.
Larval dispersal : The movement of larvae away from their birthplace, often by currents or other environmental forces. Dispersal determines where marine and freshwater larvae can settle and grow.
Holometabolism : An insect developmental pattern with distinct egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages. This pattern separates larval growth from adult form through a pupal stage.
Pupa : A usually inactive insect stage between larva and adult in complete metamorphosis. In holometabolous insects, the pupa follows the larva and precedes the adult.
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