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One of the biggest challenges in insect identification is recognizing the same species at different life stages. A caterpillar looks nothing like the butterfly it will become.
Complete Metamorphosis (Holometabolism)
Four distinct stages: egg → larva → pupa → adult. Used by beetles, flies, butterflies, moths, bees, and wasps. The larval stage looks entirely different from the adult. Our Insect Identifier can identify all four stages.
Incomplete Metamorphosis (Hemimetabolism)
Three stages: egg → nymph → adult. Used by grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches, dragonflies. Nymphs look like miniature adults but lack wings.
Why This Matters for Identification
Garden pests are often easier to manage at the larval stage. Always provide the life stage context when using BugLens Insect Identifier. Also see: Garden Insects: Friend or Foe?
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