Ladybugs and metamorphosis
Many insects undergo what is known as complete metamorphosis, the technical term being holometabolism . The larvae, or young, of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis are quite different than the adults. A familiar example are caterpillars and butterflies. A butterfly egg hatches into a caterpillar (the larval stage) which spends some time eating and growing. The caterpillar then creates a cocoon and becomes a pupae. It is during this pupal stage that the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly (the adult stage). Ants, bees, wasps, dragonflies, butterflies, flies, and beetles are some examples of insects that undergo complete metamorphosis. Why complete metamorphosis arose is still a mystery, but entomologists have been able to identify a few of the advantages to undergoing complete metamorphosis. A decrease in competition . In biology, competition refers to an interaction between organisms that results in harm to each organism. For example, lets say the...