holometabolous metamorphosis
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holometabolous metamorphosis
[¦häl·ō·mə′tab·ə·ləs ‚med·ə′mȯr·fə·səs] (invertebrate zoology)
Complete metamorphosis, during which there are four stages; the egg, larva, pupa, and imago or adult.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.