larval stage
Before full metamorphosis
The larval stage is an early phase in the life cycle of certain animals, when the organism looks and functions quite differently from its adult form.
Caterpillars, tadpoles, and maggots are familiar larval stages.
The term extends figuratively to early, undeveloped phases of anything: The project is still in its larval stage.
- caterpillarMoth or butterfly young
- pupaInsect's resting stage
- silk cocoonLarva's protective fiber shell
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
- eggReproductive cell in shell
egg laying · life cycle · instar · exoskeleton · molting · insect · nymph · maggot · fly larvae · juvenile · tadpole · chrysalis · spiracles · immature · segmented · growth · mosquito · feeding
- parasite stageszygote, oncosphere, cyst, egg, nymph
- developmentgrowth, progress, advancement, expansion, improvement
- growthgrowth, grow, growing, growth rate, increase
- development stagesinfancy, childhood, alpha, adolescence, beta
- life cycleslife cycle, birth, death, growth, metamorphosis
- beekeepingbeekeeping, apiculture, beehive, hive, apiary
developmental maturity
larval stageadult stage
Fully developed life phase
adult form · adulthood · imago · sexual maturity · final form
metamorphic transformation
larval stageimago
Insect's final form
adult form · frog · butterfly · beetle