Plural of larva, referring to the juvenile forms of insects and other animals that undergo complete metamorphosis. These immature stages look quite different from their adult forms.
From Latin 'larva' originally meaning 'ghost, specter, or mask', from the idea that the larval form masks or conceals the true adult form underneath. The biological term was first used by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century.
The original meaning of 'larva' as 'ghost' or 'mask' is surprisingly poetic - it captures how caterpillars and maggots are like ghosts of their future selves, completely transformed beings hiding within seemingly different creatures. This metamorphic mystery has fascinated humans from ancient myths to modern biology.
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