Truncated embryos and PR defects after Dermestes PRG ortholog knockdown. Offspring of pRNAi for control gfp or for the indicated D. maculatus PRG orthologs. Bar charts indicate the frequency of defects (y-axis) in anterior to posterior segments (x-axis) of affected hatched larvae. Data were from hatched larvae with segmentation defects from three consecutive daily collections after 3′ dsRNA knockdowns. The patterns were very similar after 5′ dsRNA knockdowns. (A,A′) Control Dermestes larvae have three thoracic segments and ten abdominal segments. (A) Hatched larva with pigmented stripes on the head and every trunk segment. (A′) Cuticular preparation of unhatched larva without pigmentation. (A″) Head close-up shows antennae (an), labrum (lr), mandibles (md), maxillae (mx) and labium (lb). (B-B″) Dmac-evepRNAi. (B) Moderately affected hatched larva with multiple fused segments (arrows). (B′) T3/A1, A2/A3, A4/A5, A6/A7, A8/A9, and neighboring regions were most frequently affected (n=50). (B″) Unhatched larva with shortened body length. (B‴) Spherical cuticle of a severely affected unhatched larva consists of only head, with antenna and labrum. (C-C‴) Dmac-oddpRNAi. (C) Hatched larva with only two pairs of legs and several partially fused segments (arrows). (C′) T2, A1, A5 and A7 were most commonly affected (n=48). (C″) Unhatched larva with short body and fewer segments. (C‴) Severely affected unhatched offspring with head and some thoracic structure. (D-D‴) Dmac-runpRNAi. (D) Hatched larva has fewer segments and deformed leg with duplicated claw (arrow). (D′) T2, A1, A5, A7, A9, and adjacent regions most frequently affected (n=70). (D″) Unhatched, shortened larva with duplicated claw (arrow) and leg-like maxilla (arrowhead). (D‴) ‘Head-only’ cuticle lacking partial maxillary and labium structures. (E-E‴) Dmac-hpRNAi. (E) Hatched larva with irregular segmentation between A2 and A9. (E′) Regions between A1 and A9 most frequently affected (n=37). (E″,E‴) Unhatched larva with head and thoracic segments, but little or no segmented abdomen. No wild-type-like terminal structures are evident. (F-F‴) Dmac-slppRNAi. (F) Hatched larva with several fused adjacent segments (arrows). (F′) T3/A1, A2/A3, A4/A5, A6/A7 and A8/A9 are most frequently affected (n=101). (F″) Unhatched larvae with fewer trunk segments and only one pair of legs. (F‴) Unhatched larval head missing mandibles and maxillae. Scale bars: 500 µm, except 100 µm for A″,B‴,C‴,D‴,E‴,F‴.