Last stage of the metamorphosis
Cockroaches and grasshoppers, among many, go through incomplete metamorphosis. When cockroaches and grasshoppers hatch, they look like tiny replicas of their parents except for two important differences: They cannot reproduce yet and they lack functional wings. At this stage, they are called nymphs. The stage preceding each molt is known as an instar. Every time the nymph molts or sheds its exoskeleton, small changes take place, until the last molt is accomplished and the insect emerges as a winged adult.
Another type of incomplete metamorphosis takes place in the lives of dragonflies and damselflies. These insects lay their eggs in water. After hatching, the immature offspring, who are known as "naiads," are aquatic. Unlike cockroach and grasshopper nymphs, they do not look at all like their terrestrial parents. However, like cockroach and grasshopper nymphs, naiads do not go through the pupal growth stage. They molt and gradually develop wings and reproductive organs as they increase in size.
FAMILY: Blaberidae
GENUS: Blaberus
SPECIES: (Various)