What’s the plural of “larva”?
The plural of larva is larvae or larvas.
Many larvae were found in the soil.
The researcher observed several different larvas.
Several larva were spotted on the plant leaves.
These larvae is growing quickly.
What’s the singular of “larva”?
Larva is a singular noun. Larvae and larvas is the plural of larva.
What does the word “larva” mean?
Larva in the dictionary is defined as:
The immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis (see CHRYSALIS sense 1a) from which the adult emerges.
Other Latin nouns
| singular | plural |
|---|---|
| vertebra | vertebrae or vertebras |
| antenna | antennae and antennas |
| larva | larvae and larvas |
| formula | formulae or formulas |
| nebula | nebulae or nebulas |
“larva’s” plural forms (“larvae” or “larvas”), picture “larvae” as the traditional, fancy Latin ending and “larvas” as the easier, modern option.
“Larva”, singular, used in sentences
1. Just one predatory larva can devour as many as 5,000 prey larvae before reaching adulthood. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2022
2. The smallest larva ever weighed was 3.7 milligrams. Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2022
3. Instead a larva must first be ingested by a copepod, a crustacean akin to a tiny shrimp. Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2022
4. The larva looked ugly, but it was destined to hatch into a beautiful butterfly
5. The larva of a butterfly is called a caterpillar.
“Larvae”/”larvas”, plural, used in sentences
1. They eat the larvae of water insects.
2. In the body the eggs hatch, releasing larvae.
3. They ship microscopic larvae – which grow into worms after being swallowed – all over the world. The Guardian. (2016)
4. The larvae burrow into cracks in the floor.
5. Just one predatory larva can devour as many as 5,000 prey larvae before reaching adulthood.
Origin of larva
From etymology online on larva (n.):
1630s, “a ghost, specter, disembodied spirit” (earlier as larve, c. 1600), from Latin larva (plural larvae), earlier larua “ghost, evil spirit, demon,” also “mask,” a word from Roman mythology, of unknown origin.
Read more about nouns
| Types of nouns | What’s the plural of …? |
|---|---|
| plural-only nouns | …moose? |
| mass nouns | …octopus? |
| collective nouns | …cactus? |
| abstract nouns vs. concrete nouns | …analysis? |
| possessive nouns | …curriculum? |
| regular and irregular nouns | …crisis? |
Work Sheet
What are the two correct plural forms of “larva” according to the blog post?
According to the blog post, which plural form is described as the “traditional, fancy Latin ending”?
Which of the following sentences, taken from the blog post’s examples, is marked as incorrect usage?
Which sentence from the blog post’s examples demonstrates incorrect subject-verb agreement with a plural form?
The blog post lists “vertebra” as another Latin noun with a plural ending in ‘-ae’ or ‘-as’. Which other word from that list follows the same pattern?
Many were found in the soil.
The researcher observed several different .
Just one predatory can devour many prey larvae.
The smallest ever weighed was 3.7 milligrams.
They ship microscopic all over the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the plural of larva?
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Are larvae and larvas correct?
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What’s the difference, larvae/larvas?
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What is the singular of larva?
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What are common larva errors?
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Yash, D. "What’s the Plural of Larva?." Grammarflex, Jun 20, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/whats-the-plural-of-larva/.
Sources
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Definition of larva.
