Meaning & use
pupa
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalbiology
The stage in an insect's life between larva and adult, when it is enclosed in a case and does not feed.
Grammar: Countable: a pupa, two pupae (/ˈpjuːpiː/).
Patterns
- a pupa of a butterfly
- the pupal stage
The caterpillar formed a pupa and later emerged as a butterfly.
Inside the pupa, the insect's body is completely rebuilt.
The pupae of many moths are hidden in soil or leaf litter.
Word forms
| plural | pupae |
|---|---|
| plural | pupas |
Common combinations
- form a pupa
- The larva forms a pupa before winter.
- emerge from the pupa
- The adult beetle emerges from the pupa in spring.
- pupal stage
- The pupal stage can last several months.
- inside the pupa
- Inside the pupa, tissues are reorganized.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chrysalis
- Chrysalis is used mainly for the pupa of a butterfly, while pupa is the general scientific term for all insects.
Word family
- pupal adjective
- Relating to a pupa, as in 'pupal stage'.
Commonly confused: pupa or larva?
pupa vs larva
A larva is the young, active stage (like a caterpillar) that comes before the pupa; the pupa is the resting stage that follows.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pupa' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The pupa is the stage between larva and adult, often inside a cocoon. Option 0 is wrong because eggs become larvae, not pupae. Option 2 is wrong because the adult is not a pupa. Option 3 is wrong because pupae do not usually feed.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pupa”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.