Types of larvae

TYPES OF LARVAE

Larvae hemimetabolous insect resemble the immature from of these insect are called as nymph to distinguish them from adults .However the most conspicuous difference between hemi or holometabolous larvae is in the development of wings. Larvae amongst holometabolous insect are modified as:-

a.   Protopod larvae:- These larvae develop early in their embryonic development and have the internal system

 poorly developed. They have no legs and segmentation is very poor eg. Parasitic forms of order hymenoptera.

b.   Polypod larvae:-In this type of larvae in addition to the thoracic legs , abdominal prolegs are also present .It is poorly sclerotized and is a relatively inactive from living in close contact with its food eg. Lepidoptera and tenthredinidae.

                                                                              i.            Types of larvae in lapidoptera:-  in lapidoptera larvae are named on the basis of prolegs on different abdominal segments . these are called as caterpillar ,looper ,

·       Caterpillar :-  The larvae has five pairs of prolegs on 3^rd 4^th 5^th 6^th and 10^th abdominal segments eg. Larvae of cabbage butterfly.

·       Semilooper:- The larvae has three pairs prolegs on 5^th ,6^th and 10^th abdominal segment eg. Cabbage semiworm.

·       Looper:- The larvae of looper has two pairs of prolegs on 6^th and 10^th segment eg.  measuring worm.

                                                                           ii.            Tenthredinidae:-The larvae of family tenthredinidae is generally called as pseudocaterpiller. The larvae has six to eight pairs of prolegs in abdominal eg. mustard sawfly larva

                                                                        iii.            Campodeiform larvae:- These larvae have prognathus  head .The body is well sclertized and flattened dorso-ventrally eg. Nauroptera, trichoptera,  and some coleoptera.

                                                                         iv.            Scarabaeiform larva:- These types of larvae are usually short legged , inactive which remain burrowing in wood or soil. The larvae is fat with poolly sclerotized thorax abdomen with C-shaped body eg. Some coleopteran and scrabaeidae.

                                                                            v.            Eucephalous larvae:- They have well sclerotized head capsule. Eg .nematocera , coleopteran.

                                                                         vi.            Hemicephalous larvae:- These type of larvae have reduced head capsule which can be retracted within the thorax . eg. Tipulidae , brachycera.