Imago is a term used in biology to describe the last stage in the life cycle of insects; the imago stage also referred to as the adult stage occurs after the transformation of the pupa in to an adult insect.
The imago stage is also used to refer to the case when the life cycle of the insect involves an incomplete metamorphosis stage wherein the insect progresses from the larval stage to the adult stage in two phases. The main characteristics of the imago stage is that the insect is capable of reproduction and has functional wings that can be used for locomotion both attributes which are absent in the earlier stages; the pre imago stage in the life cycle of an insect which includes an incomplete metamorphosis stage is characterized by the ability to feed and move by crawling on land (for example a caterpillar).
The term imago and its plural imagines are used specifically by entomologists, entomology being the scientific study of insects, and are not observed in general usage.
The imago stage is also used to refer to the case when the life cycle of the insect involves an incomplete metamorphosis stage wherein the insect progresses from the larval stage to the adult stage in two phases. The main characteristics of the imago stage is that the insect is capable of reproduction and has functional wings that can be used for locomotion both attributes which are absent in the earlier stages; the pre imago stage in the life cycle of an insect which includes an incomplete metamorphosis stage is characterized by the ability to feed and move by crawling on land (for example a caterpillar).
The term imago and its plural imagines are used specifically by entomologists, entomology being the scientific study of insects, and are not observed in general usage.