Which insect has Simple metamorphosis and Chewing mouthparts and belongs to Orthoptera?

• A. Monarch Butterfly
• B. Oriental Cockroach
• C. Mosquito
• D. Mole Cricket

Answer: (D)

You’re being tested on matching an insect’s metamorphosis type, mouthparts, and taxonomic order. Incomplete (simple) metamorphosis means the young (nymphs) resemble the adults and there is no pupal stage. Chewing mouthparts indicate that the insect uses mandibles to grind food, a common trait in Orthoptera. Mole crickets are part of Orthoptera and, like other orthopterans, have chewing mouthparts and undergo incomplete metamorphosis, so their life cycle fits all three criteria.

The monarch butterfly undergoes complete metamorphosis (egg, larva, pupa, adult) and has mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding, not chewing. The Oriental cockroach is not in Orthoptera (it’s in Blattodea) even though it has chewing mouthparts and incomplete metamorphosis. The mosquito is a Dipteran with piercing-sucking or sponging mouthparts and also undergoes complete metamorphosis, not fitting Orthoptera.

So the insect that best matches all three features is the mole cricket.