ametabolous

adjective

Meaning

Undergoing little or no metamorphosis during development, typically referring to insects that grow in size without changing their basic body structure.

Examples

  • Silverfish are a classic example of an ametabolous insect because their young look like miniature versions of the adults.
  • The ametabolous development cycle means these creatures do not pass through a pupal stage.

Synonyms: direct, primitive, non-metamorphic, hemimetabolous