Which statement best describes gradual metamorphosis?

• A. Pupae look like larvae
• B. Adults never molt
• C. Nymphs resemble adults but lack wings
• D. Eggs are laid in water only

Answer: (C)

Gradual metamorphosis is incomplete metamorphosis, where the life cycle goes egg → nymphs → adult and the young resemble the adult in form. The defining feature is that the offspring look like small adults, lacking fully developed wings until the final molt. That’s why the statement describing nymphs as resembling adults but lacking wings is the best fit. The other statements mix in features of complete metamorphosis or unrelated facts: having a pupal stage is typical of complete metamorphosis, not gradual metamorphosis; the idea that adults never molt isn’t the defining clue and can be misleading; and the habitat where eggs are laid doesn’t describe the metamorphosis type. In the context of mosquito control, remember mosquitoes undergo complete metamorphosis, so their aquatic larval and pupal stages look very different from the flying adult, unlike the gradual metamorphosis scenario described here.