| bookworm |
a kind of insect larva that feeds on the glue used in the manufacture of books. [1/2 definitions] |
| bot |
the botfly larva. |
| caddisworm |
the wormlike larva of a caddisfly that lives in fresh water in an elongated case made of sand, plant debris, and the silk secreted by the larva after hatching. |
| caterpillar |
the larva, or middle life stage, of a moth or butterfly. Caterpillars are round and long like worms, but have six legs. They may be brightly colored. |
| chigger |
the tiny larva of a mite that lives in the skin of animals and causes great itching. It is usually not dangerous but can sometimes spread disease. |
| corn borer |
a moth larva that is highly destructive to corn and other plants. |
| cysticercus |
the larva of any of several tapeworms, consisting of a headlike part enclosed in a fluid-filled sac; bladderworm. |
| doodlebug |
the larva of an ant lion. |
| grub |
the larva of some beetles and other insects. Grubs are a young stage in the growth of the insect. They look like short, fat worms. [1/3 definitions] |
| gypsy moth |
a moth having as its larva a hairy caterpillar that is extremely destructive to foliage. |
| hellgrammite |
the larva of a dobsonfly, often used as fish bait. |
| inchworm |
a moth larva that arches and stretches its body over and over again in order to move forward. Inchworms are thin and look like worms. |
| jumping bean |
the seed of certain Mexican plants of the spurge family, which contains the larva of a small moth whose movements cause the seed to roll and jump. |
| larva |
an insect after it hatches from an egg and before it changes into its adult form. Larvae do not have wings and look like worms. Most kinds of insects spend part of their lives as larvae. Caterpillars are a type of larva. [1/2 definitions] |
| maggot |
the larva of flies and certain other insects. Maggots do not have legs or wings. |
| mayfly |
a delicate insect with two pairs of wings. The mayfly larva may live for several years in a stream, lake, or river. Once it turns into an adult, it lives for only a few hours. [1/2 definitions] |
| naiad |
the aquatic larva of certain insects such as the dragonfly. [1/2 definitions] |
| polliwog |
a frog or toad larva in its water-dwelling stage, when it has a tail and gills; tadpole. |
| pupa |
an insect in a middle stage of its development, after it is a larva. Pupas do not eat or move; they are changing into their adult form. Many kinds of insects, including butterflies, spend their time as a pupa inside a cocoon. |
| root borer |
an insect or its larva that bores into plant roots. |
| roseslug |
the larva of any of certain sawflies, which feeds on rose leaves. |