heterometabolic

9.9

A type of insect development where the nymph looks like the adult and there is no pupal stage

adjective
/ˌhɛtərəʊməˈtæbəlɪk/

Specialized

: heterometabólico

Grasshoppers are heterometabolic insects, developing through egg, nymph, and adult stages without a pupal phase.

Examples

Unlike butterflies, heterometabolic insects skip the pupal stage entirely.
Mayflies display heterometabolic development, meaning juveniles are similar in form to the adults.
The heterometabolic insect develops gradually into its adult form.
Many grasshoppers are heterometabolic and do not have a pupal stage.
Grasshoppers are heterometabolic insects that grow from eggs to nymphs and then to adults without a pupal stage.
Mayflies are classified as heterometabolic because their young resemble the adult insects right from the start.
In contrast to other insects, heterometabolic species develop directly from nymphs to adults without forming a chrysalis.

Synonyms

heterometabolous

vsheterometabolic

Specialized

9.9

Insects whose young look like small adults and that skip the pupa stage

is the same meaning but uses a different adjective ending

How Complete

holometabolous

Specialized

9.9

hemimetabolous

Specialized

9.9

heterometabolic

Specialized

9.9

ametabolous

Specialized

9.9

Surface Forms

heterometabolic positive

Morphology

heterometabolic = metabolic (opaque) = hetero + metabol + ic

The form is built from the recognizable prefix 'hetero-' and 'metabolic', but the entomological meaning 'undergoing incomplete metamorphosis' is not directly predictable from those parts.

Etymology

Heterometabolic comes from the parts hetero- meaning 'different' and metabolic meaning 'change', like in metamorphosis ('change of form'). So a heterometabolic insect changes in a different, simpler way: the young called nymphs look like the adults and there is no pupal stage.