Final answer:
The life cycle of a grasshopper consists of egg, nymph, and adult stages, with nymphs gradually developing wings and reproductive organs. This is considered incomplete metamorphosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The life cycle of a grasshopper consists of several stages: egg, nymph, and adult. During the egg stage, a grasshopper lays its eggs in the ground. When the eggs hatch, nymphs emerge. Nymphs resemble wingless adult grasshoppers but are smaller in size. They go through several molts, gradually growing larger and developing wing buds. Finally, during the last molt, nymphs transform into adults with functional wings and sex organs.
The life cycle of a grasshopper is considered a form of incomplete metamorphosis because the young, or nymphs, resemble the wingless adults. Unlike complete metamorphosis, where the larval and adult forms look entirely different, in incomplete metamorphosis, the nymphs and adults have similar body structures. However, the nymphs go through molting, gradually developing wings and reproductive organs, until they reach the adult stage.