mldr^C homozygote mutants display delay in pupariation compared to heterozygote sibling controls and although majority of the mutant animals does pupariate eventually, they all fail to eclose and survive to adulthood. High proportion of mldr^C mutants also show pupal case defects - incomplete or failed spiracle eversion, about a fifth does not form compact pupal cases at all but rather larval-like cases and over 40% die as wandering third instar larvae.

mldr^C homozygous mutants display mitochondrial morphology defects in larval brain neuroblasts: the mitochondria are larger and swollen and often have ring-like shape.