Complete metamorphosis likely evolved out of incomplete metamorphosis. The oldest fossilized insects developed much like modern ametabolous and hemimetabolous insects—their young looked like adults.

An insect with incomplete metamorphosis has 3 life stages: egg, nymphs, and adult (no pupa). Eggs hatch to a small nymph, which resembles (not perfectly) what the adult will look like. Nymphs go ...

Gene Needed For Butterfly Transformation Also Key For Insects Like Grasshoppers Date: April 27, 2006 Source: University of Washington Summary: New University of Washington research shows that a ...

In insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis, the larvae are called nymphs. Many, such as grasshoppers, look and behave much like tiny versions of the adult insects.

This photo also shows some of the interesting characteristics of plant hoppers: they undergo incomplete metamorphosis, so with each moult of their exoskeleton their "wing buds" get slightly bigger.