Definition

Noun (plural, singular: larva): - The immature, wingless, and often worm-like feeding stage of an insect or other animal that undergoes metamorphosis, occurring after hatching from an egg and before becoming a pupa or adult.

Usage Examples

• (The young, immature forms of the butterfly eat plant material.)
• (The early developmental stage of insects is a key diet component for fish.)

Advanced Usage

• "larval stage": the period of development when an organism exists as a larva.

  • During the larval stage, the frog tadpole breathes through gills. (The early, immature phase of a frog's life cycle.)

• "larval dispersal": the movement of larvae from their birthplace to new habitats.

  • Ocean currents play a crucial role in larval dispersal of marine invertebrates. (The spread of young marine animals via water flow.)

Variants and Related Words

• Larva (n, singular): the individual organism in this stage.

  • A single larva can eat many times its own body weight. (One immature insect consumes a large amount of food.)

• Larval (adj): relating to or characteristic of a larva.

  • The larval form of the beetle is entirely different from the adult. (The immature shape of the beetle.)

• Larvicide (n): a substance used to kill larvae, especially of insects.

  • The pond was treated with a larvicide to control mosquito populations. (A chemical that kills young mosquitoes.)

Synonyms

• Grub: a soft, thick-bodied larva, especially of a beetle.
• Caterpillar: the larva of a butterfly or moth.
• Maggot: the larva of a fly, typically found in decaying matter.
• Nymph: an immature form of an insect that undergoes incomplete metamorphosis (e.g., grasshoppers), often similar to the adult but without wings.

Related Idioms