pupal stage
Metamorphosis middle period
The pupal stage is the phase in an insect's metamorphosis between larva and adult, when the organism undergoes dramatic transformation inside a protective casing.
A caterpillar enters the pupal stage in a chrysalis; a maggot pupates in a hardened shell.
The butterfly emerged after two weeks in the pupal stage.
The stage is characterized by apparent dormancy while radical internal restructuring occurs.
- cocoonSilk wrapping for transformation
- chrysalisPupal casing for metamorphosis
- sleeping bagInsulated portable bedding
- life cycleOrganism's full developmental sequence
- shellHard outer covering
exoskeleton · tracheae · spiracles · diapause · waiting game · transformation · stillness · encased · egg · developing · hatching · silk · protective · wrap · waiting · cuticle · lifecycle · shedding
insect developmental sequence
pupal stageadult stage
Fully developed life phase
larval stage · imago · larva · caterpillar · nymph