larva

lar·va

noun \ˈlär-və\

plural lar·vae \-(ˌ)vē, -ˌvī\ also larvas

Definition of LARVA

1

: the immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis from which the adult emerges

2

: the early form of an animal (as a frog) that at birth or hatching is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose before assuming the adult characters

—lar·val \-vəl\ adjective