You searched for: “larva”
larva (s), larvae (pl)
Usually a motile feeding and developing stage in the life cycle of certain insects which follows the egg stage and precedes the pupa.

Larvae of some kinds of insects are known as caterpillars, maggots, grubs, and worms.

This entry is located in the following unit: larvi-, larv- + (page 1)
larvi-, larv- +
(Latin: insect in its grub stage; from Latin larva, "mask" and by extension, "ghost", the idea being that an insect in its grub stage is merely a ghost of its future self and bears no resemblance to its future form)
pupillo-, pupill- +
(Latin: [diminutive of pupa, a young girl, doll or puppets] the pupil of the eye; including the larva of insects)
Word Entries at Get Words: “larva”
larva
An immature stage which is radically different in form from the adult; characteristic of the holometabolous insects, including the Hymeoptera.

In the termites, the term is used in a special sense to designate an immature individual without any external trace of wing buds or soldier characteristics.

This entry is located in the following unit: Ant and Related Entomology Terms (page 10)