What stages occur in gradual metamorphosis?

• A. Egg → Nymph → Adult.
• B. Egg → Larva → Pupa → Adult.
• C. Egg → Caterpillar → Chrysalis → Adult.
• D. Egg → Baby → Adult.

Answer: (A)

Gradual metamorphosis involves three life stages: egg, nymph, and adult. The key idea is that there is no pupal stage, and the nymphs look like smaller versions of the adult, shedding molts as they grow until they reach full adult form. This is common in many garden insects like true bugs (and some grasshoppers, crickets, and cockroaches). So the sequence Egg → Nymph → Adult is the correct representation.

The other sequences describe complete metamorphosis, where distinct larval and pupal stages are present (for example, larva → pupa → adult, with a caterpillar and a chrysalis in many butterflies and moths). There isn’t a real lifecycle that goes Egg → Baby → Adult, so that option isn’t a valid progression.