'larva-caring' originates from Modern English, specifically the noun 'larva' (from Latin 'larva', where 'larva' meant 'ghost, mask') combined with the present participle 'caring' (from Old English 'caru' via Middle English 'care', where 'caru' originally meant 'sorrow/anxiety' and later 'concern' or 'attention').

'larva' entered scientific usage from Latin in the 17th century to denote an immature animal stage; 'care' developed from Old English 'caru' to Middle English 'care' with the sense of attention or concern; the compound 'larva-caring' arose in modern English as a descriptive compound combining those elements to describe attention given to larvae.

Initially 'larva' primarily meant 'ghost' or 'mask' in Latin and later came to mean an immature animal stage in biological usage, while 'care' shifted from 'sorrow/anxiety' to 'attention/concern'; combined, the modern meaning is 'providing attention or tending to larvae.'