hemimetaboló

Hemimetaboly, also known as incomplete metamorphosis, is a type of insect development characterized by gradual changes throughout the life cycle. Insects that undergo hemimetabolous development hatch from the egg as a nymph. This nymph resembles a smaller, wingless version of the adult insect and shares similar ecological habits. As the nymph grows, it molts several times, shedding its exoskeleton to accommodate its increasing size. Each stage between molts is called an instar. During these molting processes, wing buds gradually develop and become more prominent with each successive instar. The final molt transforms the nymph directly into the adult or imago, which is reproductively mature and possesses fully developed wings, if the species is winged. This process stands in contrast to holometabolous development, which involves a pupal stage and a more radical transformation from larva to adult. Common examples of insects exhibiting hemimetaboly include grasshoppers, cockroaches, dragonflies, and true bugs. The nymphal stages are often referred to as naiads in aquatic insects like dragonflies.