Which insect is in the order Lepidoptera and undergoes complete metamorphosis?

Which insect is in the order Lepidoptera and undergoes complete metamorphosis?

• A. Soldier Beetle
• B. Tent Caterpillar Moth
• C. Scorpionfly
• D. Tarnished Plant Bug

Answer: (B)

Insects in this order are moths and butterflies, whose wings are covered in tiny scales and that undergo complete metamorphosis. That means they pass through four distinct life stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (often a chrysalis), and adult. The Tent Caterpillar Moth is a moth, so it belongs to this order, and it goes through those four stages—from a caterpillar feeding on leaves to a chrysalis and finally to an adult moth. The other options aren’t in this order. Soldier beetles are beetles (order Coleoptera), which also undergo complete metamorphosis but not Lepidoptera. Scorpionflies belong to Mecoptera, and Tarnished Plant Bugs are true bugs in Hemiptera; both groups experience incomplete metamorphosis, with immature stages that resemble smaller versions of adults.

Insects in this order are moths and butterflies, whose wings are covered in tiny scales and that undergo complete metamorphosis. That means they pass through four distinct life stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (often a chrysalis), and adult. The Tent Caterpillar Moth is a moth, so it belongs to this order, and it goes through those four stages—from a caterpillar feeding on leaves to a chrysalis and finally to an adult moth.

The other options aren’t in this order. Soldier beetles are beetles (order Coleoptera), which also undergo complete metamorphosis but not Lepidoptera. Scorpionflies belong to Mecoptera, and Tarnished Plant Bugs are true bugs in Hemiptera; both groups experience incomplete metamorphosis, with immature stages that resemble smaller versions of adults.