Over 95% of embryos derived from CycB²/CycB³ ; CycB^2xNRE.hb females have defects in the abdominal segments, the posterior terminalia, or both. In extreme cases, the embryos die with an open posterior hole and not segments following the third thoracic one. The defects appear to arise during nuclear cleavage cycles 9-13; the somatic nuclei in the posterior of the embryos delay progression through cycles 9-13 and ultimately lose contact with the embryonic cortex, falling into the interior.