Hemimetabolous (Adjective)
Meaning
(of an insect with aquatic young) undergoing incomplete metamorphosis in which the young does not resemble the adult.
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- Aquatic insects with hemimetabolous life cycles go through distinct growth stages from nymph to adult.
- Many aquatic bugs such as the damselfly nymph and stonefly have hemimetabolous development.
- Scientists have long studied the unique characteristics of hemimetabolous development in dragonflies and mayflies.
- The hemimetabolous transformation in the case of true bugs like the giant water bug allows it to live entirely aquatic lives.
- The life cycle of horseshoe crabs exhibit some hemimetabolous traits since the individual looks similar to the adult in its later aquatic stages.