What is "larva"

Larva \Lar"va\ (l[aum]r"v[.a]), n.; pl. L. Larv[ae] (l[aum]r"v[ae]), E. Larvas (l[aum]r"v[.a]z). [L. larva ghost, specter, mask.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) Any young insect from the time that it hatches from the egg until it becomes a pupa, or chrysalis. During this time it usually molts several times, and may change its form or color each time. The larv[ae] of many insects are much like the adults in form and habits, but have no trace of wings, the rudimentary wings appearing only in the pupa stage. In other groups of insects the larv[ae] are totally unlike the parents in structure and habits, and are called caterpillars, grubs, maggots, etc.

2. (Zo["o]l.) The early, immature form of any animal when more or less of a metamorphosis takes place, before the assumption of the mature shape.

1650s, "a ghost, specter," from Latin larva (plural larvae), earlier larua "ghost," also "mask;" applied in biological sense 1768 by Linnaeus because immature forms of insects "mask" the adult forms. On the double sense of the Latin word, Carlo Ginzburg, among other students of mythology and folklore, has commented on "the well-nigh universal association between masks and the spirits of the dead."

n. 1 An early stage of growth for some insects and amphibians, in which after hatching from their egg, insects are wingless and resemble a caterpillar or grub, and amphibians lack limbs and resemble fish. 2 An animal in the aforementioned stage. 3 A form of a recently born or hatched animal that is quite different from its adult stage.

1. n. the immature free-living form of most invertebrates and amphibians and fish which at hatching from the egg is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose

2. [also: larvae (pl)]

Larva is a 2005 science fiction- horror film, directed by Tim Cox, and written by Kenneth M. Badish, Boaz Davidson, David Goodin, Kevin Moore, J. Paul V. Robert and T.M. Van Ostrand. It stars Vincent Ventresca, Rachel Hunter and William Forsythe.

A larva is a juvenile form in biology that has little if any resemblance to its adult form.

Larva may also refer to:

• Larva (animation), a Korean computer animated comedy series
• Larva (film), a 2005 American science fiction horror film
• Larva (mask), or volto, a type of Venetian mask worn at the Carnival of Venice
• Larva, Spain, a municipality in the province of Jaén
• Larva (Vampire Princess Miyu), a Japanese manga and anime character
• The Human-Reaper Larva, the final boss in the role-playing video game Mass Effect 2

Larva is a computer-animated comedy television series made by Tuba Entertainment in Seoul, South Korea. This cartoon shows two larvae as its main characters. larvae is also part of Disney Channel Asia and based on the original show broadcast on Disney Channel Middle East.

A larva (plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.

The larva's appearance is generally very different from the adult form (e.g. caterpillars and butterflies). A larva often has unique structures and organs that do not occur in the adult form. Their diet may also be considerably different.

Larvae are frequently adapted to environments separate from adults. For example, some larvae such as tadpoles live almost exclusively in aquatic environments, but can live outside water as adult frogs. By living in a distinct environment, larvae may be given shelter from predators and reduce competition for resources with the adult population.

Animals in the larval stage will consume food to fuel their transition into the adult form. In some species like barnacles, adults are immobile but their larvae are mobile, and use their mobile larval form to distribute themselves.

Some larvae are dependent on adults to feed them. In many eusocial Hymenoptera species, the larvae are fed by female workers. In Ropalidia marginata (a paper wasp) the males are also capable of feeding larvae but they are much less efficient, spending more time and getting less food to the larvae.

The larvae of some species (for example, some newts) can become pubescent and do not develop further into the adult form. This is a type of neoteny.

It is a misunderstanding that the larval form always reflects the group's evolutionary history. This could be the case, but often the larval stage has evolved secondarily, as in insects. In these cases the larval form may differ more than the adult form from the group's common origin.