Entomology

Larvae

유충

Definition

The immature, worm-like feeding stage of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis.

Detailed Explanation

Larvae are feeding machines — their entire morphology optimizes food consumption and growth. Caterpillars eat thousands of times their weight in leaves; maggots liquefy and absorb tissue. The larval stage accounts for the majority of an insect's lifespan and growth. Forensic entomologists use the developmental stage of fly larvae on corpses (blow fly succession) to estimate time since death with considerable precision.

More in Entomology