Which term describes the process where insects go through different stages, including a pupa stage?

The term that describes the process where insects go through different stages, including a pupa stage, is holometabolism. This process involves four distinct life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The pupa stage is a critical transformation phase where the larva undergoes significant changes to emerge as a fully developed adult.

Holometabolic insects, such as butterflies and beetles, experience a complete metamorphosis, which allows for varied developmental stages that often occupy different ecological niches. This not only enhances survival by reducing competition between life stages but also enables the species to exploit different resources at various stages of their life cycle.

In contrast, hemimetabolism refers to a form of incomplete metamorphosis where the insect's life cycle includes an egg, nymph, and adult stage, but lacks a pupal stage. The other terms, monometabolism and endometabolism, are not commonly used in entomology to describe developmental processes of insects.