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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Glossary --use Taxonomy, then Info tabs to view entries » C » complete metamorphosis

complete metamorphosis

Classification · Identification · See Also
Black swallowtail, collage of metamorphosis, 3 stages - Papilio polyxenes - male Horned Passalus life stages - Odontotaenius disjunctus Hypermetamorphosis of Striped Blister Beetle - Epicauta vittata
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
No Taxon (Glossary --use Taxonomy, then Info tabs to view entries)
No Taxon (C)
No Taxon complete metamorphosis
Identification
Insects undergoing complete metamorphosis have a four-stage life cycle:
1-egg (embryo)
2-larva, typically worm-like with several stages (instars)
3-pupa (resting, transformative stage)
4-imago (adult, sexual stage, typically winged)

An insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis is called holometabolous. The following orders have this type of development:
Neuroptera - Antlions, Lacewings and Allies
Coleoptera - Beetles
Hymenoptera - Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies
Trichoptera - Caddisflies
Lepidoptera - Butterflies and Moths
Mecoptera - Scorpionflies, Hangingflies and Allies
Diptera - Flies
Siphonaptera - Fleas
Strepsiptera - Twisted-winged Insects

See metamorphosis for more details.
See Also
metamorphosis
holometabolous
Contributed by Cotinis on 19 February, 2009 - 8:45am
Last updated 19 February, 2009 - 8:29pm

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