Expression of G9a^{dsRNA.Scer\UAS} under the control of Scer\GAL4^Act5C.PI is larval/pupal lethal with melanotic tumors and when driven by Scer\GAL4^nub.PK leads to vein thickening. No overt adult phenotype is observed with any of the following drivers: Scer\GAL4^ey.PH, Scer\GAL4^GMR.PF or Scer\GAL4^en.PU.

Ubiquitous expression of G9a^{dsRNA.Scer\UAS} under the control of Scer\GAL4^da.G32 allows normal development until the end of the third larval instar. However, larvae fail to progress properly beyond this stage and do not form their puparium; crawling larvae can still be observed after 7-8 days. The majority of these larvae develop melanotic tumors. A few larvae manage to form "pseudo-prepupae" but maintain the elongated larval form, fail to evert the anterior spiracles and show only slight melanization. Feeding 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) to these larvae does not rescue them to puparium formation.

Ubiquitous expression of G9a^{dsRNA.Scer\UAS}, under the control of Scer\GAL4^Act5C.PI (which is weaker than the Scer\GAL4^da.G32 driver) allows development to proceed up to and through puparium formation. Most of the resulting pupae have cases that are only lightly tanned compared to wild-type cases and no flies eclose from such light-colored cases. Dissection of these pupae reveal dead, partially differentiated pharate adults that have no eye pigmentation or legs. Development of these pharate adults appears to have progressed further in the posterior than the anterior. Around 70% of flies of this genotype develop normally and eclose; such escapers are without exception female.

Expression of G9a^{dsRNA.Scer\UAS} in the wing disc, driven by Scer\GAL4^ap-md544, causes a pleiotropic phenotype, with one or both wings affected. The severity of the phenotype ranges from normal wings to narrow wings held in a "Dichaeate-like" fashion, to wings standing up straight to blistered wings.