Types of metamorphosis
Compare complete and incomplete metamorphosis. Complete metamorphosis has egg, larva, pupa and adult stages, as in butterflies, beetles and flies. Incomplete metamorphosis has egg, nymph and adult stages, as in grasshoppers, dragonflies and crickets. Nymphs moult as they grow, without a pupa stage. Aquatic nymphs can look quite different from adults.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Compare complete and incomplete metamorphosis by describing the stages of each on a diagram
- Classify at least three insects into the correct metamorphosis type such as butterfly (complete) and grasshopper (incomplete)
- Explain that larvae differ greatly from adults, while nymphs share the adult's basic body plan but can differ in features and habitat
1 · Read
You have met complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult. A caterpillar is a butterfly larva. It looks very different from the adult butterfly. Adult structures develop during the pupa stage. In incomplete metamorphosis, the stages are egg, nymph and adult. A nymph shares the adult's basic body plan, though its features can differ. There is no pupa stage.
Butterflies, beetles and flies have complete metamorphosis. Ladybirds are beetles: their long larvae later become pupae and then round adults. Grasshoppers, crickets and dragonflies have incomplete metamorphosis. A dragonfly nymph lives underwater. It has six legs but looks different from the flying adult. At its final moult it becomes an adult, without entering a pupa.
A grasshopper nymph is smaller than an adult and cannot reproduce yet. It sheds its old covering in a moult, then expands before its new covering hardens. Wing buds develop as it grows. A caterpillar is a butterfly larva, not a nymph. During the pupa stage, some larval tissues break down while adult structures develop. The insect remains alive.
Complete metamorphosis has egg, larva, pupa and adult stages. Incomplete metamorphosis has egg, nymph and adult stages, with no pupa.
Lesson, questions and flashcards written for this dataset.
Readings and flashcards written for this dataset. Linked video: The weird and wonderful metamorphosis of the butterfly, by Franziska Bauer for TED-Ed. Video rights remain with its publisher.
More to read
The same ladybird through four stages
A ladybird begins life inside an egg. When it hatches, it is a long larva rather than a tiny spotted adult. It eats and grows, shedding its outer covering as it gets larger.
The next stage is the pupa. Although the outside may seem still, development continues inside. Some larval tissues break down while adult structures develop. The insect stays alive throughout this change.
The adult that emerges has a rounder body and wings. The sequence is egg, larva, pupa, adult. Ladybirds are beetles, and beetles have complete metamorphosis.
Several moults, one nymph stage
A grasshopper hatches as a nymph. It has the basic body plan of the adult but is smaller and cannot reproduce yet.
The nymph's hardened covering limits its growth. A new covering forms underneath. During a moult, the nymph sheds the old covering, expands while the new one is soft, and then lets it harden.
This happens several times during the nymph stage. None of these moults creates another named stage. Wing buds develop as the grasshopper grows. Its final moult produces an adult.
Grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis: egg, nymph, adult. There is no pupa stage.
Check the stages, not just the habitat
Young insects and adults do not always live in the same place or eat the same food. Many butterfly caterpillars eat leaves, while the adults drink nectar. Using different foods can reduce competition between them.
Dragonflies also change their way of life. Their nymphs live underwater, while the adults fly. This does not make their metamorphosis complete. A dragonfly has no pupa stage.
To compare the two types, follow development. Complete metamorphosis includes a larva and a pupa. Incomplete metamorphosis includes a nymph and no pupa. Habitat alone cannot tell you which type an insect has.
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2 · Watch
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