Some insects only
change their form three times in their life.
This
is called an INCOMPLETE METAMORPHOSIS.
The
dragonfly only changes three
times.
It
does not have a pupal stage but goes from egg to larva (nymph),
to imago (adult).
The
locust is another example
of this type of insect.
Locusts
live mainly in the desert regions of Africa.
They
also live in countries bordering the Meditteranean.
They
eat a variety of fresh vegetation.
The female locust lays her
eggs which have been fertilised by the male, in warm, damp sand,
after the rainy season.
When
the new locust emerges from the egg it is pale in colour and quite
soft.
Later
the skin hardens and becomes darker.
Locusts
at this stage are called "hoppers".
The
hoppers are covered with a hard skeleton that cannot get any bigger
unless they change their skins.
They
soon begin to feed and grow larger.
They
find a twig and hang upside down.
The
skin on the back of the hopper splits and a new nymph emerges.
