What do immature insect larvae fall under within their life cycle?

Immature insect larvae are designated as instars during their development stage. The term "instar" refers specifically to the various stages that an insect undergoes between molts, from the point it hatches from an egg until it reaches adulthood. Each instar is differentiated by size, and sometimes by morphological features, as the insect grows and prepares to undergo its next molt.

The classification of life stages includes eggs, which are the starting point of the lifecycle, and nymphs, which pertain to certain insects like hemipterans that undergo incomplete metamorphosis but do not apply to larvae in general. The term "adults" refers to the fully developed stage of an insect, and immature larvae are not yet at that phase. Therefore, identifying immature larvae as instars correctly places them within the growth and development context of insects, highlighting a critical aspect of their lifecycle.