.... Importantly, we show that these resident hemocytes tightly colocalize with peripheral neurons and we demonstrate that larval hemocytes depend on the PNS as an attractive and trophic microenvironment. atonal ( ato ) mutant or genetically ablated larvae, which are deficient for subsets of peripheral neurons...

... the embryonic development reflects the relative simplicity of the completed larva and of the processes required for its formation. The requirements for postembryonic adult body plan formation in the larval rudiment include engagement of a new level of genetic regulatory apparatus, exemplified by the Hox gene...