Abstract:  Homeobox genes possess a conserved sequence of 180 bp and play a crucial role in the developmental regulation of organisms. The abdominal prolegs of larval insects become an important model for the study of evolutionary developmental biology due to their abundant diversity. Studies of homeobox genes related to proleg development help reveal the developmental mechanisms and promote our understanding of the evolution and functions of homeobox genes. This article briefly introduces the research advances of homeobox genes and summarizes the studies of insect proleg development, including the origin and development pattern of prolegs based on the temporal and spatial expression patterns of related homeobox genes, the functions and evolution of homeobox genes, especially the repression of Distal-less by Hox genes and their evolution among various insect groups, and the controversial issues in this field, so as to provide some insights for the related research.

Key words: Insect, homeobox genes, proleg development, homology, evolution