Embryos derived from homozygous female germline clones have a reduced cell number but otherwise develop apparently normally until at least gastrulation stage. Analysis of the early nuclear divisions indicates that 62% of embryos have 13 nuclear divisions followed by an extended interphase 13, 19% have only 12 nuclear divions, and 19% have partly 12 and partly 13 nuclear divisions with an extended interphase 13. The cell cycle pause in cycle 14 and cellularisation are initiated earlier than normal in the wild-type embryos.