Life cycles of insects

1. Life Cycles of Insects!
Continue clicking to find out more.

2. Life Cycle of the Grasshopper
The following picture shows the life cycle of a grasshopper. There are three stages altogether :
(1) egg, (2) nymph and (3) adult. There is no pupa stage. (
About 2
weeks
Characteristics of the nymph:
-Looks like a small adult
grasshopper
-Has no wings
-Lives in the same habitat (home)
and eats the same food as the
adult.
-As it grows, the nymph changes
its skin many times and develops
wings slowly.
Characteristics of the adult:
-The hind legs of a grasshopper
are long and powerful.
adult
About 4 to 7
weeks

3. Questions
•Name the life cycle of the insect your group is
writing about.
•What is the total number of stages in the life
cycle of the grasshopper?
•What happened in the beginning?
•What happened after a few weeks?
•Then, what did the nymph do after it hatched
from the egg?
•What did it become next?
•Name the characteristics of the adult
grasshopper.
Life Cycle of the Grasshopper

4. Life Cycle of the Mosquito
The following picture shows the life cycle of a mosquito. There are four stages altogether : (1)
eggs, (2) larva (3) pupa and (4) adult.
2 to 3 days
8 to 10 days
1 to 2 days
Eggs are laid on the
surface of stagnant water
-Larva wriggles about in
the water
-Feeds on tiny food
particles, dead plants and
algae
-Changes skin as it grows
-Pupa is comma-shaped
-rolls and tumbles in the water
-does not eat
-Adult mosquitoes can fly
-Female mosquitoes feed
on blood
-Male mosquitoes feed
on plant nectar and
juices

5. Questions
•Name the life cycle of the insect your group is
writing about.
•What is the total number of stages in the life
cycle of the mosquito?
•What happened in the beginning?
•What happened after a few days?
•Then, what did the larva do after it hatched from
the egg?
•What did it become next?
•Name the characteristics of the pupa.
•After some time, what happened after the pupa
stage?
Life Cycle of the Mosquito

6. Life Cycle of the Cockroach
The following picture shows the life cycle of a cockroach. There are three stages altogether :
(1) egg, (2) nymph and (3) adult. There is no pupa stage.
-Nymphs emerging from the
eggs are soft and white but
soon harden and turn brown.
-Have simple eyes and no
wings.
-Feeds on the same food as the
adult cockroach.
-Will mould or shed outer skin
8 times
-Adult cockroach has
powerful legs and can
run very fast.
-has a pair of wings
-antennae are used to
detect food and moisture
-Eggs are protected in an
egg case
-Eggs are laid in dark,
warm and humid places.
-Take 6 to 7 weeks to
hatch.

7. Questions
•Name the life cycle of the insect your group
is writing about.
•What is the total number of stages in the life
cycle of the cockroach?
•What happened in the beginning?
•What happened after a few weeks?
•Then, what did the nymph do after it hatched
from the egg?
•What did it become next?
•Name the characteristics of the adult
cockroach.
Life Cycle of the Cockroach

8. Life Cycle of the Housefly
A housefly's life cycle is divided into four stages: (1) egg, (2) larva, (3) pupa and (4) adult. At each
stage, the housefly's appearance changes completely.
-Female housefly will lay
the eggs on soft and wet
surfaces.
-eggs are very tiny.
-Egg hatched into white larva
or maggot.
-A larva spends all its time
eating and growing.
-Moult or shed its skin many
times as it grows.
-Pupa does not eat and
remains still.
-in the pupa case, the
larva will continue
changing.
-The adult housefly has
reached its full size when
it came out from the
pupa case.
-Able to reproduce after
2 or 3 days.
-Takes in only liquid
food.

9. Questions
•Name the life cycle of the insect your group is
writing about.
•What is the total number of stages in the life
cycle of the housefly?
•What happened in the beginning?
•What happened within 24 hours?
•Then, what did the larva or maggot do after it
hatched from the egg?
•What did it become next?
•Name the characteristics of the pupa.
•After some time , what happened after the pupa
stage?
Life Cycle of the Housefly

10. Life Cycle of the Mealworm (Darkling Beetle)
A mealworm life cycle is divided into four stages: (1) egg, (2) larva, (3) pupa and (4) adult.
-During larva stage, it
moves about by
crawling.
-It sheds its skin several
times
-The pupa is white in color.
-It sleeps and does not eat at all
-As the beetle grows older, it gets darker in color
-This 'beetle stage' is the most active
-To protect themselves from their enemies in this
stage, they bite hard and move very fast
7–14 days
30–90 days
10–20 days
5–10 days

11. Questions
•Name the life cycle of the insect your group is
writing about.
•What is the total number of stages in the life
cycle of the mealworm?
•What happened in the beginning?
•What happened after a few days?
•Then, what did the larva or mealworm do after it
hatched from the egg?
•What did it become next?
•Name the characteristics of the pupa.
•After some time, what happened after the pupa
stage?
Life Cycle of the Mealworm
(Darkling Beetle)