From anaysis of cuticles - Hmgcr26.31/Hmgcr26.31 embryos often have fused segments - most commonly fusion of segments 7 and 8. In some cases these embryos have more severe patterning defects (segment fusions and deletions; extra denticles in some segments) characteristic of mutations in segment polarity genes.
Normal separation of primordial germ cells into lateral clusters on each side of the embryo is observed in Hmgcr26.31 mutants.