noun
- the stage of an insect’s development between larva and adult, during which it undergoes transformation while enclosed in a protective casing
Usage: biology
Examples
- The caterpillar formed a pupa before emerging as a butterfly.
- During the pupa stage, the insect cannot move or feed.
- Scientists studied the pupa to understand metamorphosis.
- The moth’s pupa was hidden under a leaf.
- It takes two weeks for the pupa to develop into an adult beetle.
- The hard shell protects the pupa from predators.