larval
adj. C1 Advanced US //ˈɫɑɹvəɫ// UK //lˈɑːvəl// lar·val
adj. relating to the early stage of an insect's life before it becomes an adult. You use this to describe the small, often worm-like creature that hatches from an egg.
adj. relating to the immature, often worm-like stage of an insect's life cycle, occurring between the egg and the pupal or adult stage.
The butterfly lays its eggs on the leaves for the larval stage.
During the larval phase, the insect must consume a significant amount of food to grow before it can pupate.
The larval development of the species is highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations, which explains why the population has declined so sharply in recent years.