A 

pupa (Latin: pupa, "doll"; plural: pupae) is the life stage of some insects undergoing

transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage
are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their life cycle, the stages thereof
being egg, larva, pupa, and imago. The processes of entering and completing the pupal stage are
controlled by the insect's hormones, especially juvenile hormone, prothoracicotropic hormone,
and ecdysone. The act of becoming a pupa is called pupation, and the act of emerging from the
pupal case is called eclosion or emergence.

Pupa of the rose chafer beetle, Cetonia aurata

Tumbler (pupa) of a mosquito. Unlike most pupae, tumblers can swim around actively.

The pupae of different groups of insects have different names such as chrysalis for the pupae
of butterflies and tumbler for those of the mosquito family. Pupae may further be enclosed in
other structures such as cocoons, nests, or shells.[1]
Position in life cycleEdit
The pupal stage follows the larval stage and precedes adulthood (imago) in insects with complete
metamorphosis. The pupa is a non-feeding, usually sessile stage, or highly active as in
mosquitoes. It is during the pupal stage that the adult structures of the insect are formed while the
larval structures are broken down. The adult structures grow from imaginal discs.[2]
Duration