What is the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis in insects?
Incomplete and complete metamorphosis differ in the number of life cycle stages insects go through during their transformation from egg to adult. Complete metamorphosis has 4 life cycle stages and incomplete metamorphosis has 3 life cycle stages. Complete Metamorphosis Complete metamorphosis has four distinct life cycle stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Examples of insects that go through complete metamorphosis are butterflies, silkworms, mealworms and ladybugs. The larva can be worm-like, although you can still see the six legs. The larvae for moths and butterflies are called caterpillars. Maggots are the larval stage of flies. The larvae eat constantly and grow rapidly. A hard, protective case forms around the larva…this is the pupa stage. The pupa stage for a butterfly is called a chrysallis. The pupa stage for a moth is called a cocoon. Incomplete Metamorphosis Incomplete metamorphosis only has three life cycle stages: egg, nymph, adult. The nymph looks similar to, but a smaller
