LARVA, in natural history, is the denomination of animals which undergo transfor mation, in that state in which they first exist after issuing from the egg. Until recently, the larva state was known in Lisects only, and the term larva is still commonly used only with regard to them; but it has been discovered that many marine animals spend a considerable part of their existence in such a state, during which they are often extremely different from what they become after their next transformation; sonic of them, as the young of the cirrhopods, swimming. about freely in the larva state, whilst they become firmly fixed to one spot when they have reached their perfect development, and—which seems still more remarkable—possessing eyes in the former state, and becoming destitute of them in the latter. The larva state of crabs exhibits a very singu lar form, long known as a distinct genus of crustaceans, under the name zoCa. The young of at least some entozoa pass through a larval state; those of the tape-worms were formerly regarded as creatures altogether distinct, and received the generic name scolex, which when now used is with regard to these animals equivalent to larva.—The
larvae of insects differ very inugh in the degree of their development, the differences being characteristic of different orders; some of them much resembling the perfect insect, except in the want of wings, and others being very unlike it. The larvae of many insects, particularly those which are very unlike the perfect insect, as grubs (coleopter ous larva!), maggots (dipterous larva;), and caterpillars (lepidopterous larvae), accumulate fat in great quantity, which serves to sustain them during their pupa (q.v.) state, in which they take no food. The same accumulation of fat does not take place in larvie more nearly similar to the perfect insect, as in neuropterous insects, the pupa; of which. are active and voracious.