the immature free-living form of most invertebrates and amphibians and fish which at hatching from the egg is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose
An early stage of growth for some insects and amphibians, in which after hatching from their egg, insects are wingless and resemble a caterpillar or grub, and amphibians lack limbs and resemble fish.
The word comes from the Latin larva, which originally meant a disembodied spirit, ghost, or goblin. Over time, this term was applied to the worm-like stage of insect development.