Insects are very sensitive to the elemental forces around them. Heat—what we’d call fire—can accelerate development, push them into earlier molting, or even trigger heat‑shock proteins that alter gene expression. Too much heat and you can see reduced survival, but a moderate increase can speed up life cycles in some beetles or butterflies. Water, or the moisture element, changes the opposite: higher humidity slows down pupation in many species, while drought can force earlier emergence or even trigger alternative developmental pathways. So yes, both fire and water can reshape an insect’s life cycle, but the outcome depends on the species’ thresholds and how those forces interact with their biology.

Not all insects are equal. Some thrive on the dampness, others need the dryness; a drop in humidity can delay or even halt development in one, while in another it might speed up a pupal phase. The reaction is a mix of the species’ natural tolerance, the temperature, and how long they’re exposed, so it’s never the same across the board.