Describing insects and other organisms that develop without a distinct pupal or larval stage, maintaining roughly the same body form throughout life.
From Greek 'a-' (not) + 'metabolē' (change) + '-ous' (adjective suffix). Coined in entomology to distinguish these insects from those undergoing complete metamorphosis.
Silverfish and three-pronged bristletails are ametabolous, which means they hatch looking like tiny adults—no awkward larva phase, no magical cocoon moment; they just keep growing bigger copies of themselves until they're done.
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