noun, plural lar·vae [lahr-vee]. the immature, wingless, feeding stage of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis. any animal in an analogous immature form. the young of any invertebrate animal. larvae, Roman Antiquity.

1 : the immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis (see chrysalis sense 1a) from which the adult emerges.

Take the word “larva” (pl. “larvae”). Many non-biologists wrongly use the word “larvae” as both singular and plural [“a larvae”, “two larvae”]. The word agendum exists, with plural agenda.

Synonyms for larvae. naiads. (or naiades), nymphs.

What is the opposite of larvae?

: a stage in the life of an arthropod (such as an insect) between two successive molts also : an individual in a specified instar.

For most insect species, an instar is the developmental stage of the larval forms of holometabolous (complete metamorphism) or nymphal forms of hemimetabolous (incomplete metamorphism) insects, but an instar can be any developmental stage including pupa or imago (the adult, which does not moult in insects).

It measures about 0.27 mm long and 0.15 mm wide. Its movement is usually limited to the first few hours after hatch, and to a distance of 1–2 mm (Price and Taborsky, 1992). Duration of the first instar is usually 2–4 days.

monarch larvae

between 3 and 5 days

45mm

It is fairly obvious when a caterpillar is preparing to molt. They withdraw their heads from their head capsules, causing a larger bulge than normal behind the head capsule. The old head capsule sits on the face of the caterpillar, much like a doctor’s mask.

Stage 2: Caterpillar Once the caterpillar hatches, it grows rapidly. It’s estimated that in two weeks, the caterpillar will be 3,000 times larger than the day it hatches. Monarch caterpillars shed their exoskeleton (or molt) as they grow. The black thing that pops off at the end of the video is the head capsule.

It’s easy to think that your caterpillar has died, when actually it’s only turned into a still, brown pupa. Inside it’s very much alive, and all of its cells are rearranging themselves into a completely different-looking kind of insect – a full-grown butterfly or moth. Don’t give up, and don’t throw it away.

Butterflies are perhaps most famous for the process by which a plump little caterpillar transforms into a winged work of art. But they’re not unique in going through this drastic life change, called complete metamorphosis, or holometabolism.

Scientists have known for a long time that caterpillars can learn and remember things when they are caterpillars, and adult butterflies can do the same when they are butterflies. The scientists had shown that the memories of avoiding the bad smell experienced as a caterpillar had been carried over into the moth stage.

In order to be able to become a butterfly, the caterpillar has to fall apart completely, decompose down to its very essence, devoid of any shape or consciousness. It literally dies.

Butterflies have four life stages, the egg, the larva (caterpillar), the pupa (chrysalis), and the adult butterfly. Each of the four stages are very unique to individual species of butterflies which is part of what makes watching and raising butterflies so much fun.

When a caterpillar is born, they are extremely small. When they start eating, they instantly start growing and expanding. Their exoskeleton (skin) does not stretch or grow, so they grow by “molting” (sheding the outgrown skin) several times while it grows.

Some of the common predators of butterflies include but are certainly not limited to: wasps, ants, parasitic flies, birds, snakes, toads, rats, lizards, dragonflies and even monkeys! A few of the other animals that are constantly adding butterflies onto their menu list are frogs and spiders.

A quick and easy method to euthanize butterfly eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, and adults is simply to place them in the freezer overnight. Within a couple of minutes, they are normally already dead. They can be placed in a paper or plastic bag, sealed shut, and laid in the freezer.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar. This is the main feeding stage of the butterfly. Caterpillars eat almost constantly and grow very quickly, at an astonishing rate.

The pupa of butterflies is also called a chrysalis. Depending on the species, the pupa may suspended under a branch, hidden in leaves or buried underground. The pupa of many moths is protected inside a coccoon of silk.

The first stage of a butterfly’s life is a very small oval, round, or cylindrical egg, depending on the species of butterfly. When the egg hatches, a “larva” or “caterpillar” emerges.

The Life Cycle of a Plant The plant starts life as a seed, which germinates and grows into a plant. The mature plant produces flowers, which are fertilised and produce seeds in a fruit or seedpod. The plant eventually dies, leaving seeds which germinate to produce new plants.

During the second stage, a caterpillar (or larva) hatches. It is the long, worm-like stage of the butterfly life cycle. Most caterpillars have patterns, stripes or patches and sometimes spine-like hairs.