Larva

Generally, when referring to animals, a larva is the young form of an animal whose morphology, and often lifestyle, are very different from those of the adult form (tadpole/frog or toad, for example).

Among insects, the larval stage precedes the imago stage (for insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis, such as the earwig) or the nymph stage (for insects that undergo complete metamorphosis, such as the moth).