Animal & Plant Life Cycles
Every living thing grows and changes. Explore 48 illustrated life cycle guides, from eggs and tadpoles to caterpillars, chrysalises, seeds and spores. Perfect for homework, science projects and curious minds.
Complete metamorphosis (egg → larva → pupa → adult) happens in butterflies, beetles, ladybugs and bees. Incomplete metamorphosis (egg → nymph → adult) happens in dragonflies, grasshoppers and cockroaches.
🐞 Insects, spiders & bugs life cycles
Dragonfly Life CycleEgg → nymph → adult
Grasshopper Life CycleEgg → nymph → adult
Beetle Life CycleEgg → larva → pupa → adult
Ladybug Life CycleEgg → larva → pupa → adult
Worm Life CycleCocoon → hatchling → adult worm
Fly Life CycleEgg → maggot → pupa → adult
Butterfly Life CycleEgg → caterpillar → chrysalis → butterfly
Spider Life CycleEgg sac → spiderling → adult
Moth Life CycleEgg → caterpillar → cocoon → moth
Flea Life CycleEgg → larva → pupa → adult
Cockroach Life CycleEgg case → nymph → adult
Mealworm Life CycleEgg → mealworm → pupa → darkling beetle
Ant Life CycleEgg → larva → pupa → adult
Snail Life CycleEgg → hatchling → adult snail
Bee Life CycleEgg → larva → pupa → adult
Praying Mantis Life CycleEgg case → nymph → adult
Cicada Life CycleEgg → underground nymph → adult
Caterpillar Life CycleEgg → caterpillar → pupa → butterfly or moth
Tomato Hornworm Life CycleEgg → hornworm → pupa → sphinx moth
Lice Life CycleNit → nymph → adult
Bed Bug Life CycleEgg → five nymph stages → adult
Pink Ladybug Life CycleEgg → larva → pupa → adult
Monarch Butterfly Life CycleEgg → caterpillar → chrysalis → butterfly
Mosquito Life CycleEgg → larva → pupa → adult🐸 Amphibians & reptiles life cycles
Frog Life CycleEgg → tadpole → froglet → frog
Snake Life CycleEgg or live birth → hatchling → adult
Lizard Life CycleEgg → hatchling → adult
Turtle Life CycleEgg → hatchling → juvenile → adult
Toad Life CycleEgg → tadpole → toadlet → toad🐟 Fish & sea life life cycles
Fish Life CycleEgg → larva → fry → juvenile → adult
Crab Life CycleEgg → zoea → megalopa → juvenile → adult
Salmon Life CycleEgg → alevin → fry → parr → smolt → adult
Dragon Moray Eel Life CycleEgg → larva → adult eel
Shark Life CycleEgg or live birth → pup → adult
Jellyfish Life CycleLarva → polyp → ephyra → medusa
Eel Life CycleEgg → larva → glass eel → elver → adult
Conger Eel Life CycleEgg → larva → adult eel🦊 Mammals & birds life cycles
Chicken Life CycleEgg → chick → young bird → hen or rooster
Fox Life CycleKit → juvenile → adult
Wolf Life CyclePup → juvenile → adult
Squirrel Life CycleKit → juvenile → adult
Horse Life CycleFoal → weanling → yearling → adult horse🌱 Plants & flowers life cycles
Dandelion Life CycleSeed → rosette → flower → seed head
Plant Life CycleSeed → seedling → adult plant → flower → seed
Moss Life CycleSpore → protonema → moss plant
Angiosperm Life CycleSeed → seedling → flower → fruit → seed
Fern Life CycleSpore → prothallus → young fern → adult fern
Pumpkin Life CycleSeed → sprout → vine → flower → pumpkinLooking for a particular animal? Browse all 539 animals in our Animals A–Z index, or try our free life cycle coloring pages.