How Would You Describe Larva? Larva is a stage which many animals pass through in their life cycle. In animals which have a larva, the larva hatches out from the egg. It can feed independently and looks different from the adult form that it will eventually become.
Some more common larvae that you may have seen, apart from caterpillars (the larvae of butterflies and moths), are tadpoles (the larvae of frogs) and maggots (the larvae of flies). Some common seashore animals, such as starfish and winkles, also have larvae, but these are tiny and swim in the sea. In other words we do know now how to describe larva.
There are three main types of insect larvae namely oligopod, polypod and apodous.
OLIGOPOD : Thoracic legs are well-developed.
POLYPOD or ERUCIFORM : The body consists of an elongated trunk with large sclerotized head capsule.
APODOUS: They are larvae without appendages for locomotion.
What happens during the larva stage? The larva stage of the butterfly’s life cycle is a time for growth. Larva, also known as a caterpillar, spends its time eating and growing. The caterpillars feed on their host plants, which can range from a single species to many species. As caterpillars grow, they shed their exoskeleton.
Which stage of butterfly eat very rapidly? The caterpillar hatches from a tiny egg and will eventually pupate and turn into an adult butterfly or moth. This larval stage usually lasts from two weeks to about a month. This is the main feeding stage of the butterfly. Caterpillars eat almost constantly and grow very quickly, at an astonishing rate.
Content for this question contributed by Sam Imbleau, resident of Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, USA
