3 Magnificent Insects with Incomplete Metamorphosis

Animals, mostly insects, have to go through a process of transformation from egg stage to adult stage. This process is called metamorphosis. During the process of metamorphosis, there will be some changes that the insects experience, mostly on the physical appearance and body function.

Also spend time reading these dangerous insects in the world and stay away from them!

There are two types of metamorphosis: complete and incomplete. Complete metamorphosis has 4 stages while incomplete metamorphosis only has 3 stages.

Unlike complete metamorphosis, incomplete metamorphosis does not have larvae and pupa stages. Instead, it has the nymph stage. Nymph is the small version of the adult insect. It is similar to the way a child looks like his or her parents.

Let’s focus more on the insects who go through incomplete metamorphosis. Let’s see how these 3 magnificent insects transform through an incomplete metamorphosis.

• Dragonfly

Different with other winged insects such as butterflies, dragonflies do not have a pupal stage and transition straight from a larva to an adult. A male and female dragonfly will mate while they are flying in the air.

Then, the female dragonfly may lay her eggs on a plant in the water or drop them into the water. Sadly saying, dragonfly is listed as one of the shortest living animals.

After that, the eggs will hatch. This is the beginning of the nymph stage. A nymph looks like a little alien creature as it doesn’t have any wings yet and has something looks like a crusty hump hanging on its back. Dragonfly nymphs live in the water as they grow and develop into dragonflies. This stage may take up to 4 years to complete.

Finally, it is the adult dragonfly stage. When the nymph is fully grown and the weather is perfect, then the metamorphosis will be completed. The dragonfly will crawl out of the water up the stem of a plant.

It will shed its skin onto the stem of the plant and it becomes a young dragonfly. The skin that the nymph left is called the exuvia. Once the dragonfly leaves it, it already becomes a fully rown dragonfly. Then, it will start hunting for food and look for a mate.

• Grasshopper

The life cycle of grasshopper also consists of three stages, that’s why it is considered as an insect with incomplete metamorphosis. Grasshopper is also considered as one of the animals inhabiting grasslands.

The first stage of a grasshopper metamorphosis is the egg. The female grasshopper lays the fertilized eggs in summer under the sand or leaf litter.

Then, she will spray a sticky substance on the egg which hardens and forms a waterproof POD around the egg. Each POD has 10 to 300 eggs inside it depending on the species. The female grasshoppers typically can lay up to 25 pods.

Then, after the eggs hatch, comes the nymph stage. The nymph is hatched from the egg. It looks like an adult grasshopper, but without wings and reproductive organs. During this stage, it sheds its skin for 5 to 6 times to grow into the adult.

This process is also known as molting. During this stage, the nymphs eat succulent and soft plant foliage after hatching from the egg. This stage lasts for about 5 to 6 weeks.

The last stage is the adult grasshopper. The lifespan of a grasshopper is about 12 months. At this adult stage, the adult female grasshopper is ready for laying eggs. And the life cycle begins again.

• Cockroach

The last insect going through an incomplete metamorphosis is cockroach. This annoying insect goes through three stages of life just like grasshopper and dragonfly: egg, nymph and adult.

The first stage is egg. A cockroach can lay 10 to 50 eggs in a warm and humid spot of home and businesses. You may find the eggs under stoves, sinks, appliances, bathrooms, walls and furniture with the pets’ sticky saliva.

It takes around 1 to 2 months for the eggs to hatch, depending on the species and climate. The higher the temperature, the faster the pests will develop.

The next stage is the nymph stage. The nymphs will hatch and undergo several molts, growing a little each time they shed their skin. Then, they will emerge from the old shells. The soft and white bodies will harden and change color to brown, tan or gray.

After the final molt, the nymphs enter the adult stage. They start to reproduce and the cycle starts over and over again. The lifespan of cockroaches is long and they can infest buildings.

Knowing the life cycle of cockroach is important so that you can control them from destructing your buildings! Also read the other insects you can find inside the soil and insect-eating birds.