Many kinds of insect and other animals have larvae. They hatch from an egg and have cylindrical or sausage-shaped bodies. The larva of the fly is the maggot, which is white with a wedge-shaped head for burrowing into its food. The larva of the caddis-fly can build a tube of stones, shells or plant stems around it. The larva of a butterfly or moth is called a caterpillar.

The crustaceans that live in the sea such as crabs, lobsters and prawns have larvae which are adapted for floating near the surface of the sea and feeding off the tiny algae that live there. The algae and the crustacean larvae form part of the plankton. Other marine invertebrates such as starfish and molluscs have larvae which also form part of the plankton. This combination of algae and larvae is the food of many fish.

The tadpole of the frog or toad is also a larva. It has many fish-like features such as a fin and gills. It loses these and grows legs when it turns into an adult.