pupa

American  

[pyoo-puh] / ˈpyu pə /

noun

plural

pupae, pupas

1. an insect in the nonfeeding, usually immobile, transformation stage between the larva and the imago.

---

pupa British  

/ ˈpjuːpə /

noun

1. an insect at the immobile nonfeeding stage of development between larva and adult, when many internal changes occur See coarctate exarate obtect

---

pupa Scientific  

/ pyo̅o̅′pə /

plural

pupae

1. An insect in the nonfeeding stage of development between the larva and adult, during which it typically undergoes a complete transformation within a protective cocoon or hardened case. Only certain kinds of insects, such as moths, butterflies, ants, and beetles, develop as larvae and pupae.

2. Compare imago larva nymph

---

Other Word Forms

• pupal adjective

Etymology

Origin of pupa

1765–70; < New Latin, special use of Latin pūpa girl, doll, puppet. See pupil ¹, puppet

Explanation

A pupa is an immature insect, in the stage of development just before adulthood. A butterfly or moth pupa is known as a "chrysalis." Some kinds of insects go through dramatic, distinct stages as they grow, otherwise known as metamorphosis. For these insects, the egg and larval stages are followed by a period of time as a pupa that can last weeks, or even years, depending on the insect species and what the temperature is. At the end of their time as a pupa, insects break open their shell or case and emerge, fully grown.

Example Sentences

Schmitt, whose work focuses on chemical communication in social insects, notes that workers can target a single sick pupa among many.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2025

One of the genes they've edited is a key regulator of molting from larva to pupa, which, when tweaked, yields larvae 50 percent larger than an unedited one.

From Scientific American • Aug. 28, 2023

When a caterpillar finally encases itself into a pupa, it doesn’t just grow wings and emerge as a butterfly.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2023

The insect starts as a wriggling, wormlike larva, then seals itself into an inert pupa that looks like a living sleeping bag, emerging as a full-grown adult.

From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2022

A contemporary of Leeuwenhoek’s, Jan Swammerdam, showed that butterflies, which had been regarded as new creatures born out of the pupa, were already present within the caterpillar: their organs could be identified by dissection.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton