larval

Larval is an adjective used in biology to describe the immature life stage of many animals that follows hatching or birth and precedes the adult form. The larval form is often distinct in appearance and habitat from the adult and may have different feeding and locomotion strategies.

In many lineages, the life cycle includes metamorphosis, with a larva transforming into a juvenile and then into an adult. In other groups, development is direct and the young resemble the adult. The larval stage is a developmental phase that can serve various ecological roles and may differ substantially from the adult in morphology and behavior.

Common larval forms include insect larvae such as caterpillars, maggots, and grubs; crustacean larvae such as nauplius and zoea stages; amphibian larvae such as tadpoles; and many fish and marine invertebrates whose early life stages are free-swimming. These forms often occupy different habitats and exploit different food resources than their parents.

Larval stages serve roles in dispersal and growth, often occupying different ecological niches. They may be filter feeders, detritivores, or predators, and their development is frequently regulated by hormonal cues that trigger metamorphosis into the adult form.

Understanding larval biology aids studies of development, ecology, and evolution, as larval stages reveal how species grow, adapt to environments, and transition to adulthood.