metamorphosis
Arthropods have a life cycle with sexual reproduction. Most species go through larval stages after hatching. The larvae are very different from the adults. They change into the adult form in a process called metamorphosis . This may take place within a cocoon. A familiar example of metamorphosis is the transformation of a caterpillar larva into a butterfly adult . Other arthropod species, in contrast, hatch young that look like small adults. These species lack both larval stages and metamorphosis.