Pupa

Pupa

A Pupa (plural: pupae or pupas) is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The processes of entering and completing the pupal stage are controlled by the insect's hormones, especially Juvenile hormone, Ecdysone, and Neurohormones. The pupae of different groups of insects have different names such as chrysalis for the pupae of butterflies and tumbler for those of the mosquito family.

Characteristics

Pupae may be obtect or exarate. In obtect pupae, the insect's appendages are attached to the body, while in exarate pupae, the appendages are free and not glued to the body. Some pupae remain in a resting state (quiescent) for a certain necessary period before the adult insect emerges, while others immediately begin the process of transformation into an adult.

Development

The pupal transformation into an adult insect involves significant metamorphosis, during which the insect's body is reorganized. The adult structures grow from the imaginal discs. These discs grow significantly during the pupal stage. The pupal stage is also when the adult insect's gut is formed. After the adult insect emerges from the pupa, it can begin to feed and reproduce.

Examples

Examples of insects that pupate are the orders Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants), Diptera (flies, mosquitoes), and Coleoptera (beetles).

See also

• Metamorphosis
• Holometabolism
• Nymph
• Larva

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