Homozygous females are transformed to intersexes under restrictive and semi-restrictive temperatures (29oC and 25oC). Mutant males show a weak transformation to intersexuality in the sixth sternite has bristles. Surviving daughters of homozygotes and transheterozygotes raised at semi-restrictive temperatures show a high frequency of morphological defects not seen in sons. Maternal effect female lethality is enhanced by Sxlf1. Severely restrictive conditions (29oC for more than 2 days) reveals maternal sex-nonspecific lethality for all heteroallelic combinations except her3/her2 : embryos show defect in gastrulation and differentiation of the cuticles.
Heat induced expression of herhs.PL fully rescues lethality.
Relative severity of the effects on female and male sexual differentiation is her3 > her1 > her2 > hermat-1. Relative severity of the effects on viability is her3 > her1 = her2 > hermat-1.