Nymphs are characterized as which stage of an insect's life?

Nymphs are indeed characterized as the immature stage of an insect's life cycle. Insects that undergo incomplete metamorphosis, such as grasshoppers and true bugs, transition from an egg to a nymph. During this nymph stage, the insect typically resembles a smaller version of the adult but lacks fully developed wings and reproductive structures. This developmental phase is crucial as nymphs continue to grow and molt, gradually taking on characteristics of the adult form until they reach maturity.

In contrast, the adult stage refers to the fully developed insect after it has completed its lifecycle, while the larval stage is often used to describe immature forms of insects undergoing complete metamorphosis, such as caterpillars in butterflies. The egg stage is the very first stage of the life cycle, where the insect begins its development before hatching into a nymph or larva.