When l(3)mbnunspecified hemocytes are injected into the abdomens of wild-type females, the hosts show reduced survival compared to wild-type hosts injected with buffer or wild-type hemocytes.
Mutant animals have increased hemocyte counts, and many lamellocytes and a high incidence of melanotic 'tumors'.
The addition of HedsRNA.cKa to l(3)mbnunspecified animals causes melanotic 'tumors' to develop much earlier than seen in l(3)mbnunspecified mutants alone, also the proliferation and reactivity of (but not the phagocytic capacity) of hemocytes is also enhanced.