Which insects develop through complete metamorphosis?

Which insects develop through complete metamorphosis?

• A. Grasshoppers, Crickets
• B. Spiders
• C. Aphids
• D. Lacewings, Beetles, Butterflies, Moths, Flies, Bees, Ants, Wasps

Answer: (D)

Complete metamorphosis means four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult, with the larval and adult forms often looking very different and occupying different ways of life. The insects that go through this pattern include lacewings, beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, bees, ants, and wasps—covering several major insect orders. This differs from grasshoppers and crickets, which undergo incomplete metamorphosis with egg, nymph, and adult; the nymphs look like smaller versions of adults and only gradually become mature. Spiders are not insects at all, they're arachnids, so they don't fit the insect metamorphosis pattern. Aphids also exhibit incomplete metamorphosis.

Complete metamorphosis means four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult, with the larval and adult forms often looking very different and occupying different ways of life. The insects that go through this pattern include lacewings, beetles, butterflies, moths, flies, bees, ants, and wasps—covering several major insect orders. This differs from grasshoppers and crickets, which undergo incomplete metamorphosis with egg, nymph, and adult; the nymphs look like smaller versions of adults and only gradually become mature. Spiders are not insects at all, they're arachnids, so they don't fit the insect metamorphosis pattern. Aphids also exhibit incomplete metamorphosis.