Idh3b²/Df(3R)Exel6188 transheterozygotes develop more slowly relative to controls as the time from egg-laying to puparium formation is significantly increased; the anterior spiracle eversion is often impaired and many puparia resemble sclerotized larvae, the mutant pupae also show abnormal persistence of larval salivary glands in the pupal stage (beyond 30 hr after puparium formation). The mitochondria in late/pupae and prepupae do not undergo fragmentation as is typical for wild-type but rather clamp together and remain elongated.

Embryos from mothers with germline consisting of solely Idh3b² mutant cells (created by the ovoD technique) arrest development in embryonic stage, their nuclei are highly variable in size and often incompletely separated.

Mutant salivary gland cells contain large eosin positive vacuoles and plasma membranes and show variable chromosome banding - phenotypes associated with delaying salivary gland programmed cell death due to a failure in the onset of autophagy.

Idh3b²/Idh3b¹ mutants fail to shorten their bodies properly at puparium formation, fail to tan, often exhibit a defect in anterior spiracle eversion and die following head eversion. Mutants possess persistent salivary glands, even though adult structures have formed, including eyes and wings.