The first description of the larval stages of a representative of the family Paguridae from the SE Pacific coast of South America is presented. Larvae of Pagurus edwardsii, a common hermit crab from the rocky intertidal environment of the Chilean coast, were reared in the laboratory from hatching through the molt to juvenile stage I. Culture conditions included water temperature of 11 ± 1°C, salinity 32 ± 1‰, 12h:12h light : dark photoperiod, and feeding with Artemia sp. nauplii. The larval development of P. edwardsii included four zoeal stages (ZI–ZIV) and one megalopal stage; the duration in days for each zoeal stage was: ZI: 18.9 ± 0.5, ZII: 12.8 ± 0.8, ZIII: 5.9 ± 0.2, ZIV: 5.6 ± 0.6; and 9.1 ± 0.4 days for the megalopal stage. Descriptions and detailed illustrations are presented for each of the larval stages. Morphological comparisons made between P. edwardsii and other congeneric species with larval desciptions showed the main characteristics for the diagnosis of zoeal stages are: a) setation of antennal endopod and scaphocerite; b) spination and setation pattern of the basal endite of the maxilulle; c) setal formula of the endopodite of maxilliped 1; d) the segmentation model of the sixth pleomere; and e) the formula for the processes in the posterior margin of the telson. In contrast, the megalopal larva can be recognized by the number of setae on the endopod of maxilliped 3 and the absence of apical hooks on the appendix interna of the pleopods.