The engrailed (en) mutation leads to the transformation of the posterior structures of the dorsal mesothoracic disc into those characteristic of the anterior region of the same disc. Similar posterior-anterior duplications have been detected in dorsal as well as ventral structures of all the thoracic segments. -Genetic combinations of en with other pattern mutants have shown their synergistic effect on the posterior wing pattern.-A clonal analysis of the en wing disc shows that en affects its development in a characteristic way. The genetic change, by induced mitotic recombination, of en(+) into en cells is followed by the corresponding transformation, except when it takes place some cell divisions prior to differentiation.-The en posterior wing disc cells show positive affinities with normal anterior wing disc cells in aggregates.-The mode of action of the en(+) locus controlling wing disc development is discussed.