Nymph (biology)
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In science a nymph is the young of some kinds of insects.
Insects grow in two ways. In one of these ways, called incomplete metamorphosis, an insect egg hatches, and a small insect called a nymph comes out. The nymph usually looks just like the adult insect but is much smaller. Nymphs do not become pupae before becoming adults.
Some insects have nymphs that are aquatic, which means they live in water. These nymphs look very different from the adults. Dragonflies have nymphs that live in water, such as in lakes and rivers. Nymphs that live in water are sometimes called naiads.
The other way insects grow is by complete metamorphosis. This way has no nymphs.
Some insects that are nymphs when they are young are grasshoppers, cockroaches, true bugs, and dragonflies.
In mythology (what people believed a long time ago), spirits of nature are called nymphs. Water spirits are called naiads in mythology.
