Flies homozygous for AP-2¹²¹⁵ lack all but the tibia-tarsus joint and have strongly reduced tibia and femur segments and a variable number of tarsal segments. Also, some pattern elements of the distal tibia are duplicated as a mirror image.

Legs from AP-2¹²¹⁵/AP-2¹⁵ flies show a very similar phenotype to AP-2¹²¹⁵ homozygous mutants.

Discs giving rise to segmented appendages develop abnormally. Legs are much shorter than normal, they contain normal numbers of foreshortened segments with reduced numbers of bristles. The tibia of all legs show mirror-image duplication of distal elements with inverted polarity with indications of incipient joint development at the plane of symmetry. Other segments are not so strongly affected, although some pattern deficiencies and bristles with reversed polarity are observed. Tarsi are unsegmented. Antennal joints are either abnormal or absent and the second segment has a reduced number of bristles.