ametábola

Ametabola is a term used in entomology to describe insects that undergo ametabolous development. This is the simplest and most primitive form of insect metamorphosis, characterized by the absence of significant post-embryonic development of external features. Insects that are ametabolous hatch from the egg as miniature versions of the adult, differing primarily in size and reproductive maturity. As they grow, they molt their exoskeleton multiple times. Each molt allows them to increase in size, but their basic body plan remains the same. There are no distinct nymphal or larval stages, and no pupal stage. The young are essentially wingless adults. This type of development is found in a few primitive insect orders, such as the Zygentoma (silverfish and bristletails) and the Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails). These insects typically inhabit moist, dark environments. Ametaboly is considered an ancestral trait, with more complex forms of metamorphosis, like hemimetaboly and holometaboly, evolving from this simpler mode.