INSECTS GROWTH AND METAMORPHOSIS

Growth and Metamorphosis

The growth of an insect is accompanied by a series of molts, in which the exoskeleton (outer
shell) is shed and renewed. Insects change in form as they grow, and the amount and
character of this differ from group to group. This change is called metamorphosis.

The word “Metamorphosis” has been taken from two Greek word , “meta” means change and
“morphe” means form, so “Metamorphosis” means change of form of an insect. The series of
changes through which an insect passes in its growth from egg to adult is called metamorphosis.
When the young first hatchs from an egg, it is either a larva, nymph, or naiad. After feeding for a
time, the young grows to a point where the skin cannot stretch further; the young molts, and new
skin is formed. The number of these stages (called instars) varies with different insect species
and, in some cases, may vary with the temperature, humidity, and availability and kinds of food.
The heaviest feeding generally occurs during the final two instars. Four basic types of
metamorphosis are observed in the insect world.
1. No Metamorphosis/ametabolous development
2. Gradual metamorphosis/paurometabolous development
3. Incomplete metamorphosis/hememetabolous development
4. Complete metamorphosis/holometabolous development

No Metamorphosis/ametabolous development
Ametabolous (Greek, a=without; metabole=change) development involves organisms that lack
metamorphosis. Specifically, ametaboly is applied to the Apterygota in which the adult closely
resembles the immature stages. This type of development is restricted to those groups which
continue to molt throughout adult life and are primitively wingless.

 Upon hatching from the egg, the young insect with "no metamorphosis" development
looks exactly like the adult except for size.
 Adults differ from immature only in size and in possession of fully developed reproductive
organs.
 Generally immature gets bigger in size after each molt.
 Some species may molt after sexual maturity.
 The immature stages are referred to simply as "immatures" or "youngs".
 The young and adults live in the same environment, have the same types of
mouthparts and feeding habits.
 metamorphosis may be summarised as:
egg young (undergoes moults) adult (may continue moulting)

Examples: This group includes primitive, wingless insects include the silverfish (Thysanura)
and springtails (Collembola).

Adult
Egg

Young

Figure 1. Ametamorphosis (thysanura)

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Gradual Metamorphosis/paurometabolous development
Paurometabolous (Greek, pauros = little; metabole = change) development
refers to metamorphosis in which the changes of form between immature and
adult are gradual and inconspicuous. Paurometabolous insects are terrestrial.

 Upon hatching from the egg, the young insect with "gradual
metamorphosis" development looks exactly like the adult except for wings
and developed genital organs.
 Partial metamorphosis occurs here.
 The immature stages are referred to as "nymphs".
 Nymphs and adults live in the same habitat and feed on the same foods.
 The change of the body is gradual, often observable as external wing
pads in the immature stages and the wings become fully developed only
in the adult stage.
 Usually nymphs molt 4-6 times and the insects stop molting when they
reach their adult size.
 metamorphosis may be summarised as:
egg nymph (undergoes moults) adult

Examples: This group icludes grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches and mantids

(Orthoptera), earwigs (Dermaptera), termites (Isoptera), booklice
(Psocoptera), chewing and sucking lice (Pthiraptera), true bugs (Hemiptera),
and cicadas, hoppers and aphids (Homoptera).

Adult

Egg

Nymph

Figure 2. Gradual metamorphosis (cockroach)

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Incomplete Metamorphosis/hemimetabolous development
Hemimetabolous (Greek, hemi = half: metabole=change) development refers
to metamorphosis in which form changes between immature and adult are made
in one radical move. The anatomical changes between stages are conspicuous.
This is a special type of gradual metamorphosis in which the immature
stages, or naiads, are aquatic while the adults are terrestrial (aerial) or
flying insect.

 Like gradual metamorphosis it has three life stages: egg, naiads

(nymph) and adult.
 The adult insect with incomplete metamorphosis lays its eggs in or near
water
 Upon hatching from the egg, the immature insect develops in water.
 Aquatic immatures or nymphs are known as "naiads".
 Nymphs and adults occupy different habitats and feed on different foods.
 Wing development is similar to that of paurometabolous species, but
naiads possess special ventilatory organs gills for breating for aquatic
existence.
 Development is often prolonged over an entire year or even several
years, and it is not unusual to fine 15 or more instars.
 metamorphosis may be summarised as:
egg naiads (undergoes moults) adult

Examples: This group icludes mayflies (Ephemeroptera), dragonflies and

damselflies (Odonata), and stoneflies (Plecoptera).

Naiad

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Complete metamorphosis/holometabolous development
Holometabolous (Greek, holos= entire; metabole=change) development
involves a pupal stage between immature and adult. This is the most advanced
type of metamorphosis found among the Insecta. Type of insect development
characterized by four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult.

 After hatching from the eggs the immatures look entirely different from
the adults. They usually have a worm-like shape. They are active feeder.
 The active immature stages are known generally as larvae.
 Larvae grow larger by molting and passing through one to several instar
stages.
 When larval feeding is completed, the larvae make cocoons around
themselves and transforms into a pupa, a resting stage before adult.
 Larvae don't eat while they're inside their cocoons. The wings, if
present, develop internally.
 Inside the cocoon, the larvae change into adults with wings, legs,
internal organs, etc. After a period of time, the adult breaks out of the
cocoon.
 The adult that emerges is usually entirely different in appearance
and structure from the larval stage and is mostly concerned with
mating, reproducing and dispersing.
 Larvae and adults of insects live in very different habitats and often
feed on different types of food.
 Moth and butterfly larvae are called caterpillars; some beetle larvae are
called grubs; most fly larvae are called maggots.
 Caterpillars often have legs; maggots are legless. Weevil grubs are
legless; other kinds of beetle larvae usually have three pairs of legs.
 metamorphosis may be summarised as:
egg larva (undergoes moults) pupa (mostly stationary)
adult

Examples: This group icludes lacewings (Order Neuroptera), beetles (Order

Coleoptera), caddisflies (Order Trichoptera), butterflies and moths (Order
Lepidoptera), flies (Order Diptera), fleas (Order Siphonaptera), and sawflies,
ants, wasps and bees (Order Hymenoptera).

Adult

Egg
Pupa

Larva

Figure 4. Complete metamorphosis (house fly)