human
What are the differences between types of insects?
assistant
The main differences between types of insects depend on the order or family to which the insect belongs. Generally, insects can be divided into three categories based on the type of metamorphosis they undergo: holometabolous (complete metamorphosis), hemimetabolous (incomplete metamorphosis) and ametabolous (no metamorphosis). Holometabolous insects, such as butterflies, moths, and beetles, undergo four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Hemimetabolous insects, such as cockroaches, grasshoppers, and crickets, do not have a pupal stage and progress through three stages: egg, nymph and adult. Lastly, ametabolous insects, such as silverfish, go through gradual metamorphosis, where they hatch and look like adults, and moult as they grow without changing shape significantly.