Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "tsutsa" ita ce rashin girma, mara fuka-fuki, kuma sau da yawa nau'i na tsutsa mai kama da tsutsotsi wanda ke fuskantar metamorphosis kafin ya zama babba. Larvae yawanci suna da siffofi na jiki da halaye waɗanda suka keɓance don takamaiman salon rayuwarsu da muhallinsu. Hakanan za'a iya amfani da kalmar "tsutsa" dalla-dalla don komawa ga sifar da ba ta girma ta kowace dabbar da ta fuskanci metamorphosis, kamar wasu amphibians da wasu invertebrates na ruwa.