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Larva: Within a week, the eggs hatch into larvae that breathe air through tubes which they poke above the surface of the water. Larvae eat bits of floating organic matter and each other. Larvae molt four times as they grow; after the fourth molt, they are called pupae.

Pupa: Pupae (also called tumblers) live near the surface of the water, breathing through two horn-like tubes (called siphons) on their back. Pupae do not eat.