Fig. 1: Life cycle of L. villosa beetles.
From: Bacterial ectosymbionts in cuticular organs chemically protect a beetle during molting stages
a Schematic overview of the beetle’s life stages including average duration of every stage in days. The seven larval instars are abbreviated as L1–L7. b Illustration of the larval molting phase. c Photograph of young larvae reared in the laboratory. L1 larvae remain unmelanized, while the cuticle of L2 larvae melanizes after the post-molt phase. d Photograph of pupae in the field, found under decaying leaves in the soil of a soybean plantation.
