Emily Oster

My first summer in college I worked in a fruit fly lab where I had two jobs: dissect the fruit fly larvae brains and incinerate the old tubes of flies.

American Economist

Joel Salatin

The cows shorten the grass, and the chickens eat the fly larvae and sanitize the pastures. This is a symbiotic relation.

American Author

Ruth Reichl

I learned so much in Laos. I learned that fried silkworm larvae are delicious. I learned how to make ant-egg salad.

American Chef

Larva describes a transformation phase where an organism will drastically change its form.

Transformation Stage

While commonly associated with insects, 'larva' can refer to early forms of other animals too.

Not Just Insects

Use 'larva' to indicate an organism is in its growth phase before reaching maturity.

Growth Indicator

In biology, 'larva' is a technical term for the undeveloped form of organisms, mainly animals.

Biological Term

Different species' larvae have varied life spans and forms, which can be studied in biology.

Life Cycle Variation

Many larvae, such as mosquitoes, have aquatic stages, living in water before maturing.

Aquatic Habitats

Metaphorically, 'larva' can describe early development stages of concepts or technology.

Metaphorical Use

The term suggests creative or intellectual growth and potential for change.

Creative Implication

Emphasize the beginning or undeveloped status when using 'larva' for non-living entities.

Early Stages Emphasis

 In their larval caterpillar form, they chomp hungrily through leaves at a rapid rate to help them grow and spin cocoons. But when they emerge as butterflies, these insects feed only on flower nectar. Metamorphosis means the larvae and adults of one species will never compete for the same resource,

Why are there so many...

 They're showing how much nutrition that they could've obtained. But something else happened, which was an epiphany in my life. They sporulated, the spores attract insects, the insects laid eggs, eggs became larvae. Birds then came, bringing in seeds, and our pile became an oasis of life.

6 ways mushrooms can...

 and millions of baby larvae hatch into the world. When they first emerge, the larvae are tiny and vulnerable. Some don't even have gills yet and must absorb oxygen directly from the water through their tissue-thin skin. They may float in the water column anywhere from minutes to months,

The secret lives of baby...

 Even tiny lobster slipper larvae can cling to the bell of a jellyfish and hitch a ride, snacking on the jelly while they preserve their own energy for growth. Small agile fish use the jellies as moving reefs for protection, darting between tentacles without ever touching them.

How does a jellyfish...

 fish and larvae that spill out of our reserve to replenish our fishing grounds year after year indefinitely now these returns are so effective that if we can scale up protection to around a third of our oceans we're in with a chance of

Investing in fish...

 womb has protected them but now they no longer need it to complete the next stage of their lifecycle they must break out the caterpillars thick skin should be a solid barrier to the parasitic wasp larvae but as their

Body Invaders PIPE National...

 some of the workers paddle with her front legs giving the elements a helping hand on the top deck the workers tend the pupae and larvae below deck workers clean and maintain

Ants Ingenious Survival...

 fed by the queens the voracious larvae grow quickly and then pupate a few weeks after the eggs were laid the first tiny pale workers emerge from these silky cocoons

Best Of Ants PIPE BBC Earth

 butchered the succulent and nutritious flesh will be a massive boost to the hornet's own larvae and their queen's fortunes for the first month of spring the queen

Ferocious Hornet Moments...

 the eggs soon hatch fed by the queens the voracious larvae grow quickly and then pupate a few weeks after the eggs were laid the first