Larviform female is a biological phenomenon occurring in some insect species, where the females in the adult stage of metamorphosis resemble the larvae to various degrees, while the male appears more morphologically adult (as imagoes). The resemblance may mean the larviform female has the same coloring as the larvae and/or similar body plans, and may be the result of the female arresting development at earlier stages of ecdysis than males.[1] The female may not pupate at all, as in Xenos vesparum.[2] Typically, the female is wingless and generally larger than the male. Larviform females still reach sexual maturity.[3] Larviform females occur in several insect groups, including most Strepsiptera and Bagworm moths, many elateroid beetles (e.g., Lampyridae), and some gall midges.[3]

Larviform females are an area of interest in the study of the evolution of insect metamorphosis.[1]

Since these females have lower ability to disperse, this may help explain high endemism in some groups, such as Lampyridae fireflies.[4]

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References

  1. ^ a b Cicero, Joseph (June 1988). "Ontophylogenetics of cantharoid larviforms (Coleoptera: Cantharoidea)". The Coleopterists Bulletin. The Coleopterists Society. 42 (2): 105–151. JSTOR 4008535. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  2. ^ Erezyilmaz, D.F., Hayward, A., Huang, Y., Paps, J., Acs, Z., Delgado, J.A., Collantes, F., and Kathirithamby, J. (2014) 'Expression of the pupal determinant broad during metamorphic and neotenic development of the strepsipteran Xenos vesparum Rossi', PLoS ONE, 9(4), available: https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A375582897/HRCA?u=crepuq_bishop&sid=HRCA&xid=8b5d44a4 [accessed 30 Nov 2020].
  3. ^ a b McMahon, Dino P.; Hayward, Alexander (April 2016). "Why grow up? A perspective on insect strategies to avoid metamorphosis". Ecological Entomology. 41 (5): 505–515. doi:10.1111/een.12313. S2CID 86908583. reproductive maturity is differentiated by the development of sexual traits (i.e. the development of the germ line and genitalia) without progression to a discrete pupal stage or a metamorphic terminal imago.
  4. ^ Da Silveira, Luiz Felipe Lima; Mermudes, José Ricardo M. (2014-02-18). "Systematic review of the firefly genus Amydetes Illiger, 1807 (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), with description of 13 new species". Zootaxa. 3765 (3): 201–248. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3765.3.1. ISSN 1175-5334. PMID 24870897.

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