Several diversities in insect pupae are being noticed which are being classified based on certain criteria and is being described in brief here.

1. DIVERSITY OF INSECT
PUPAE
Exarate
Coarctate
Obtect
Presented by
V. Priyadharshini
I Ph.D. Scholar

2. PUPA?
✓ A motionless (sessile) form of an insect undergoing a remarkable
transformation.
✓ Between larval and adult stage of holometabolous insects.
✓ Incapable of feeding and is quiescent.
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3. POSITION
Source: https://helicoverpaaspests.weebly.com/life-cycles.html
STAGE I
STAGE II
STAGE III
STAGE IV
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4. DEVELOPMENTAL ORIGIN OF PUPAL
STAGE
• First, the pupa is considered to be a modified version of the final larval
stage—this is referred to here as ‘Hinton 2’ (Hinton, 1963).
• Second, all holometabolous larval stages are supposed to be derived from a
modified embryonic (‘pronymphal’) form, with the pupa being identified
with the ‘true’ larval or nymphal state, the ‘Berlese’ model (Berlese, 1913).
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5. Source: Jindra, 2019 5

6. DIVERSITIES OF PUPAE
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7. A. BASED ON THE PRESENCE OR
ABSENCE OF POWERFUL MANDIBLES
I. Dectious pupae:
• Dectious pupae have articulated mandibles -chew through the pupal cell -
tend to be active - exarate with free appendages.
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8. II. Adectious:
• Adectious pupae lack functional mandibles and cannot chew their way out
of the pupal case or bite in defense. The mandibles are attached to the head
in such a way as to render them immobile.
• Adectious pupae may also be either obtect or exarate.
• Eg: Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera.
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9. B. BASED ON THE ATTACHMENT OF
THE APPENDAGES
I. OBTECT
✓ In obtect pupae, the insect's appendages are "glued" to the body wall as
the exoskeleton hardens. Many obtect pupae are enclosed within a cocoon.
✓Obtect pupae occur in many of the Dipteran order of insects. This includes
midges, mosquitoes, crane flies, and other members of the suborder
Nematocera.
✓Eg: Lepidoptera (butterflies) and in a few of the Hymenoptera (ants, bees,
wasps) and Coleoptera (beetles). 9

10. I. (A) Chrysalis
✓ Naked obtect pupa of butterfly.
✓ Angular and attractively coloured.
✓ The pupa is attached to the substratum by
hooks present at the terminal end of the
abdomen called cremaster. The middle part
of the chrysalis is attached to the substratum
by two strong silken threads called gridle. Cremaster
Gridle
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12. I. (B) Tumbler
✓Pupa of mosquito is called tumbler- an obtect
type of pupa.
✓It is comma shaped with rudimentary
appendages.
✓Breathing trumpets are present in the cephalic
end and anal paddles are present at the end of
the abdomen. Abdomen is capable of jerky
movements - produced by the anal paddles.
Breathing trumpets
Anal paddles
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13. II. EXARATE
✓ Exarate pupae X Obtect pupae. The appendages are free and they can
move. Movement is usually limited to the abdominal segments, but some
can also move their appendages.
✓ Lacks a cocoon, and looks like a pale, mummified adult, according
to "Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects.
✓ " Most pupae fall into this category. Nearly all insects that undergo
complete metamorphosis have exarate pupae.
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14. ✓ All oligopod larvae will turn into exarate pupae.
✓ Adectious exarate pupae: Siphonaptera (fleas), Strepsiptera (twisted-wing
parasites), Diptera, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera.
✓ Dectious exarate pupae: Mecoptera (scorpionflies & hanging flies),
Neuroptera (nerve-winged insects), Trichoptera (caddisflies) and some
primitive Lepidopterans.
Flea Scorpion fly Green lace wing Caddisfly
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15. III. COARCTATE
• Coarctate pupae are covered by a membrane called a puparium, which is
actually the hardened cuticle of the final larval instar .
• They are also considered exarate in form, as these pupae have free
appendages.
• Coarctate pupae are found in many families of Diptera (suborder
Brachycera).
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16. Exarate dectious pupae:
(a) Megaloptera: Sialidae;
(b) Mecoptera: Bittacidae.
Exarate adectious pupae:
(c) Coleoptera: Dermestidae;
(d) Hymenoptera: Vespidae;
(e,f ) Diptera: Calliphoridae, puparium
Obtect adectious pupae:
(g) Lepidoptera: Cossidae;
(h) Lepidoptera: Saturniidae;
(i) Lepidoptera: Papilionidae, chrysalis;
(j) Coleoptera: Coccinellidae.
Source: http://www.entomologa.ru/boxes/44.htm 16

17. C. BASED ON HABITAT
1. Terrestial
Pupa of European fruit fly Pupa of tomato fruit borer
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Pupa of pink spotted hawk moth
Projection for
proboscis

18. 2. Niche
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Pupa of rice leaf folder
Pupa of sugarcane internode borer
Pupa of chrysomelid beetle

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Pupa of stinging nettle slug caterpillar –
cup like
Pupa of rice skipper

20. 3. Aquatic
Pupa of caddish fly (Trichoptera)
Pupa of water scavenger beetle (Coleoptera)
Pupa of waterlily moth (Lepidoptera)
Pupa of mosquito (Diptera)
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Free swimming pupa of
chironomid (Diptera)
Under water pupa of
chrysomelidae (Coleoptera)
Silken cocoon of black fly (Diptera)
Gills
Pupa of Dobson fly (Neuroptera)

22. D. BASED ON PUPAL PROTECTION
In general pupal stage lacks mobility. To get protection against
adverse conditions and natural enemies - cocoon. Based on the nature and
materials used for preparation of cocoons, there are several types:
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S.No Types of cocoon Materials used Examples
1. Silken cocoon silk silkworm
2. Earthern cocoon Soil + saliva Gram pod borer
3. Hairy cocoon Body hairs Wooly bear
4. Frassy cocoon Frass + saliva Coconut black headed
caterpillar
5. Fibrous cocoon Fibres Red palm weevil

23. Silken cocoon Earthern cocoon
Hairy cocoon
Fibrous cocoon
Frassy cocoon
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24. D. (I) VARIETIES IN SILKEN COCOONS
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Dimorphic multi-layered architecture of Hyalophora sp. cocoon
(Lepidoptera)

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Cocoon of luna Moth (Lepidoptera)
Cocoon of prometheca moth (Lepidoptera)

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Cocoon of green lace wing
Cocoon of brown lace wing
Cocoon of diamond back moth
Cocoon of spongilla fly

30. D. (II) VARIETIES IN HAIRY COCOONS
Pupa of tiger moth Pupa of oleander caterpillar
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31. D. (III) VARIETIES IN CAGED COCOONS
Pupa of urodid moth Pupa of arctiine moth
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32. D. (IV) VARIETIES IN METALLIC PUPA
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33. E. BASED ON ANTIPREDATOR
STRATEGIES
1. Cryptic colouration:
Pupa of Peacock
butterfly
Pupa of common maplet
butterfly
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Pupa of luna moth – hide
themselves in a leaf cover
Pupa of prometheca moth –
resembles dried leaf during
deciduous period

34. 2. Warning colouration:
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Pupa of lady bird
Chrysalids of papilionindae
Atrophaneura polydorus
Troides richmondia
Troides euphorion
Papilio ulysses Protographium leosthenes
Papilio fuscus
Papilio demoleus
Papilio anactuspolydorus
Papilio ambrax
Papilio aegeus
Graphium macleayanum
Graphium eurypylus
Graphium choredon
Graphium agamemnon
Cressida cressida

35. 3. Physical defense:
Pupa of common
postman butterfly
Pupa of white satin moth
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Cocoon of tent caterpillar
Pupa of firefly

36. 4. Chemical defense:
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Pupa of common
buck eye butterfly
Pupa of Scymnus posticalis

37. 5. Behavioural defense:
Pupa alcon blue butterfly – mimicks ant’s
pupae & by producing nectary substance
through their honey gland. They keeps the
ants around them for their protection.
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Cocoon of urodid moth – cage like to
prevent invading of ants & to flush
rainwater through them as their habitat
is amazon rainforest.

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Pupa of hair streak butterfly –
resembles bird’s dropping
Pupa of tenebrionid beetle – posess 3 types of
discrete elementary motions viz., rapid
vibration, circular rotation and small wiggling
movements

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40. * A. LARGEST PUPA
Pupa of hercules beetle
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41. * B. GIANT ATLAS MOTH’S PUPA
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42. EMERGENCE
✓ Insects emerge by splitting the pupal case
✓ Time of emergence:
1. Morning - Butterflies
2. Evening/ night – Mosquitoes
✓ The adult inside the pupal exoskeleton prior to the emergence is termed
as “pharate”
✓ After the emergence of adult from pupa, the empty pupal exoskeleton is
known as “exuviae” 42

43. DURATION
✓Pupation may lasts for weeks, months and years.
✓Depends on the environmental factors and the insect species.
✓Example: 8 -15 days – Monarch Butterflies.
✓Pupa may undergo dormancy until appropriate season comes.
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