Alberta Structural Practice Exam

Complete metamorphosis (holometabolism) means the insect goes through four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult, with the larva and adult often looking very different and a pupal stage in between. The groups that fit this pattern include moths, fleas, flies, beetles, and bees, wasps, and ants. Each of these undergoes a pupal stage where dramatic transformation occurs, producing the adult form. The other options mix groups that do not have a pupal stage. Cockroaches and crickets develop through incomplete metamorphosis, with nymphs that resemble adults. Bedbugs and booklice also show incomplete metamorphosis. Firebrats and silverfish are considered primitive and do not have a true pupal stage (ametabolous development). Springtails are not undergoing complete metamorphosis either. So the grouping that correctly highlights complete metamorphosis includes moths, fleas, flies, beetles, and bees/wasps/ants.