Spanish word

larva

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈlaɾβa/

Meaning

  • feminine nounlarva

Example

¿Qué es esa larva en la rama?

What's that larva on the branch?

Illustration for larva (larva)

More examples

Encontré una larva cuando regaba las plantas.

I found a larva when I was watering the plants.

Core concept

An immature, often wormlike stage of an insect before metamorphosis.

Common phrases

  • encontrar una larva

    find a larva

  • una larva en el jardín

    a larva in the garden

Similar words

oruga: Plump, leaf-eating caterpillar of butterflies or moths, often hairy and found on plants.
gusano: Elongated, cylindrical wormlike creature commonly found in soil, compost, or on surfaces.
crisálida: Hardened, immobile pupal stage of butterflies or moths in which metamorphosis takes place.
ninfa: Immature insect stage of incomplete metamorphosis that resembles the adult while it grows.

Definition in Spanish

Forma inmadura de ciertos animales, especialmente insectos, que aún no ha alcanzado la apariencia adulta.

Word origin

From Latin larva 'mask, ghost', the term acquires a biological sense in medieval and early modern natural history to denote an animal's undeveloped stage and enters Spanish via Latin.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Spanish, oruga commonly refers to caterpillars while larva is more often used for mosquito or aquatic insect young and in formal or scientific contexts.

Opposites

Word lists with this word