pu|pa

pu|pa «PYOO puh», noun, plural -pae «-pee», -pas.

1. the stage in the life of an insect between the larval and the winged adult stage: »

Finally, the larva seems to have eaten its fill and goes into a quiescent stage called the pupa (A. M. Winester).

2. an insect in this stage. Most pupae are unable to move about, and many are enclosed in a tough case or cocoon. »

A somewhat different rhythm is seen in the moulting of insects, the hatching of their eggs and emergence of pupae (Cloudsley and Thompson).

╂[< New Latin pupa < Latin pūpa girl, doll]