pupation

1 9.2

A stage when a young insect hides and changes into its adult form inside a protective case

noun
/ˌpjuːˈpeɪʃən/

Specialized

: pupación

All I had to do, I assumed, was check them each day and collect my adult flies as they emerged from pupation.

Examples

During pupation, the caterpillar transforms into a pupa inside a protective casing.
For insects, pupation can last for a long time, even years.

Blog text (14)
Mature larvae form a pupation chamber in the upper part of the root, emerging as adults in late summer or the following spring.

Academic text (1993)
In the third molting stage, the male undergoes a pupation process (full metamorphosis) that continues for two weeks.

Academic text (2005)
Public intellectuals went through a kind of reverse pupation: bright speculative butterflies turned into dull professional grubs.

Academic text (2001)
Pupation is crucial for insects, marking the stage where larvae develop into adults.
In many insects, pupation occurs in a hidden location to protect the developing pupa.

Synonyms

metamorphosis

vspupation

Specialized

7 7.4

A rapid physical change some animals go through from young to adult

is the specific stage when a larva becomes a pupa

Surface Forms

pupation singular

pupations plural

Morphology

pupation = pupate (transparent) = pupa + ate + ion

The word is a regular noun formation from the verb 'pupate', and its meaning as the process of becoming a pupa is predictable from the base.

Etymology

Pupation comes from the Latin word pupa meaning 'doll' or 'puppet' and the ending -ation for an action. So, think of the insect in a small 'doll-like' case, because pupation is the quiet stage when a larva becomes a pupa and changes into an adult insect.