What are Ametabolous and Metabolic Insects?
Each organism develops in a specific way, which would be no different with insects. These animals can show direct and indirect development. In the first case, when it leaves the egg, it is already quite similar to the adult, unlike when it presents indirect development.
When an insect shows direct development, we say they are ametaboles. This means that the young form is very similar to the adult form, differing only by size. It is important to emphasize that they do not undergo any kind of metamorphosis. Like example of ametabolic insects, we can name the book moths, which during development present a similar morphology in the young and adult phases.
Insects that show indirect development are called metabolisms. They show differences between the young and adult forms and can be classified into hemimetabola and holometabola.
You hemimetabolus they are those who, when young, already have some similarity to adults. In these cases, there is a incomplete metamorphosis
, with few modifications. The youth internship is called nymph. Like example of hemimetabolic insects, we can highlight the locusts, which, when young, differ mainly by the absence of wings. In addition to this animal, the cockroach and the bug they are hemimetabolas.Do not stop now... There's more after the advertising ;)
The grasshopper undergoes small changes from the nymph stage to the adult form
Finally, we have the insects holometaboles, which are those who suffer a complete metamorphosis, since the young individual is completely different from the adult. In this case, there is a larval form, which undergoes modifications until it becomes a pupa or chrysalis, an immobile form. Within this structure, the insect undergoes metamorphosis and becomes an adult. Over time, the pupa is ruptured and the adult, also called the imago, emerges. This type of development is characteristic of butterflies, moths and flies.
The butterfly during its development undergoes a complete metamorphosis
Some holometabolic insects, such as the Aedes aegypti, undergo such big changes that they change even the place where they live. During the larval stage, this insect is aquatic, but as an adult it is a disease vector mosquito.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "What are ametabolo and metabolo insects?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/biologia/o-que-sao-insetos-ametabolos-metabolos.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.