Which term describes a life cycle with four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult?

Which term describes a life cycle with four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult?

• A. Incomplete metamorphosis
• B. Complete metamorphosis
• C. Partial metamorphosis
• D. No metamorphosis

Answer: (B)

Complete metamorphosis involves four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The presence of a pupal stage is a hallmark of this pattern, during which the organism undergoes dramatic transformation so the larva and adult look very different. That’s why this option best fits the four-stage lifecycle described. The other descriptions don’t fit because incomplete metamorphosis has three stages—egg, nymph, and adult—with no pupal stage, and the nymphs resemble small adults. A term like partial metamorphosis isn’t the standard way to describe insect development, and no metamorphosis would imply no major change in form at all.

Complete metamorphosis involves four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The presence of a pupal stage is a hallmark of this pattern, during which the organism undergoes dramatic transformation so the larva and adult look very different. That’s why this option best fits the four-stage lifecycle described.

The other descriptions don’t fit because incomplete metamorphosis has three stages—egg, nymph, and adult—with no pupal stage, and the nymphs resemble small adults. A term like partial metamorphosis isn’t the standard way to describe insect development, and no metamorphosis would imply no major change in form at all.