Larval and Pupal Types

How can larvae be classified?

Oligopod, Polypod, and Apodous.

Oligopod:

Thoracic legs only, no abdominal prolegs.

Oligopod Classifications:

Campodeiform and Scarabaeiform.

Campodeiform:

Elongated, flattened, active, long legs and prominent mandibles, often predators or active foragers.

Campodeiform Examples:

Ground beetle larvae, lady beetle larvae, and lacewing larvae.

Scarabaeiform:

C-shaped, thick, whitish, short legs, sluggish, usually living in soil or decaying matter.

Scarabaeiform Examples:

June beetle and other scarab grubs.

Polypodous:

Thoracic legs plus abdominal prolegs (eruciform).

Polypod (Eruciform):

Caterpillar-like body, 3 pairs of true thoracic legs plus fleshy abdominal prolegs.

Polypodous Examples:

Butterfly and moth caterpillars, and sawfly larvae.

Apodous:

No legs at all, vermiform and others).

What is vermiform?

Maggot-like, often with reduced or no head.

Apodous Examples:

Fly maggots, many weevil and wood-boring beetle larvae, and bee and wasp larvae.

What are the different pupal types?

Exarate, Obtect, and Coarctate.

Exarate:

Legs, wings, and antennae free (not glued to the body).

Exarate Examples:

Many beetles, wasps, and bees.

Obtect:

Appendages held against the body by a hardened cuticle.

Obtect Examples:

Butterfly chrysalids, and moth pupae.

Coarctate:

Pupa encased in the hardened last larval skin (puparium).

Coarctate Examples:

Many flies, including house flies.

What are special cases?

Hypermetamorphosis and Subimago.

Hypermetamorphosis:

The first larval instar differs greatly from later instars (blister beetles, some parasitoids).

Subimago:

A winged pre-adult stage (mayflies).