Wild-type phenotype of Drosophila melanogaster
Flies
(order Diptera), like other
members of the class Insecta,
have a number of serially homologous
segments in a tri-partite body
plan that comprises a Head or Cephalic
region, a Thoracic region,
and an Abdominal region. Each
of the three pairs of legs is
located on the ventral side of a different Thoractic segment. The wings are on the dorsal side of the
second Thoracic segment (notum).
In Diptera, a pair of rudimentary halteres
occurs on the next posterior segment: in other orders of
Insecta, these are developed as a pair of fully functional wings.
Abdominal segments 5-8 are compressed and modified for reproductive
functions. The cephalic region includes segments that differentiate as
paired antennae, eyes, and labial palps. All of the cuticular
structures develop from imaginal discs
present in the fly larva.
All text material © 2007 by Steven M. Carr