Which insect belongs to Lepidoptera and undergoes complete metamorphosis?

• A. White-Lined Sphinx Moth
• B. Water Strider
• C. Western Corn Rootworm
• D. Yellowjacket

Answer: (A)

Lepidoptera includes moths and butterflies, and members there undergo complete metamorphosis: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult. The White-Lined Sphinx Moth is a moth, so it’s in Lepidoptera and experiences all four life stages, starting as an egg, becoming a caterpillar, then forming a chrysalis, and finally emerging as an adult moth. The larval stage is a caterpillar, the pupal stage is the chrysalis where transformation happens, and the adult has wings with scales. The water strider is a true bug in Hemiptera and shows incomplete metamorphosis, with nymphs resembling small adults. The Western Corn Rootworm is a beetle (Coleoptera) and also has complete metamorphosis but is not Lepidoptera. The yellowjacket is a wasp (Hymenoptera) with complete metamorphosis as well, but again not Lepidoptera.