Larviform female is a biological phenomenon occurring in some species, where the females in the adult stage of metamorphosis resemble the larvae to various degrees, while the male appears more morphologically adult. The resemblance may mean the larviform female has the same coloring as the larvae and/or similar body plans, and may be the result of the female arresting development at earlier stages of ecdysis than males. [1] The female may not pupate at all, as in Xenos vesparum. [2] Typically, the female is wingless and generally larger than the male. Larviform females still reach sexual maturity. [3] Larviform females occur in many insect groups, including Strepsiptera, Cecidomyiidae, and Elateroidea. [3]
Larviform females are an area of interest in the study of the evolution of insect metamorphosis. [1]
References
- ^ a b Cicero, Joseph (June 1988). "Ontophylogenetics of Cantharoid Larviforms (Coleoptera: Cantharoidea)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. The Coleopterists Society. 42 (2): 105–151. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ Erezyilmaz, D.F., Hayward, A., Huang, Y., Paps, J., Acs, Z., Delgado, J.A., Collantes, F., and Kathirithamby, J. (2014) 'Expression of the pupal determinant broad during metamorphic and neotenic development of the strepsipteran Xenos vesparum Rossi', PLoS ONE, 9(4), available: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A375582897/HRCA?u=crepuq_bishop&sid=HRCA&xid=8b5d44a4 [accessed 30 Nov 2020].
- ^ a b McMahon, Dino P.; Hayward, Alexander (April 2016). "Why grow up? A perspective on insect strategies to avoid metamorphosis". Ecological Entomology. 41 (5). Retrieved 1 December 2020.
reproductive maturity is differentiated by the development of sexual traits (i.e. the development of the germ line and genitalia) without progression to a discrete pupal stage or a metamorphic terminal imago.
See also
- Cylindrachaetidae
- Drilidae
- Lampyridae
- Phengodidae
- Rhagophthalmidae
- Thylodrias contractus
- Hypermetamorphosis
- Neoteny