Larvavaihe

Larvavaihe, or the larval stage, is the immature form in the life cycle of many animals that undergo metamorphosis. In this phase the organism is typically focused on feeding and growth, and it often looks very different from the adult. Eggs hatch into larvae, which then undergo one or more molts before becoming the adult.

There are two broad patterns of development. In holometabolous species, such as butterflies, moths, beetles, bees, and flies, the larva is highly different in form from the adult (for example, caterpillars and maggots). After the larval stage, a pupal phase typically precedes emergence of the adult. In hemimetabolous species, such as many true bugs, grasshoppers, and some crustaceans, the young resemble a smaller version of the adult, and there is no pupal stage; development occurs through multiple molts to reach maturity. Some aquatic insects have specialized larval forms, such as naiads, that are adapted to life in water.

Larval stages also occur outside insects. Amphibians commonly have tadpole larvae that live in water and undergo metamorphosis into adult frogs or salamanders. In crustaceans, early life stages can include nauplius or zoea forms, which differ markedly from adults. The larval stage often plays a key ecological role, occupying different habitats or diets than adults, facilitating dispersal, and driving evolutionary diversification.

Understanding larvavaihe is important in fields ranging from ecology and evolution to conservation, fisheries, and pest management, where larval biology informs habitat requirements, population dynamics, and control strategies.