part of larva gonad female-specific anatomical entity larval ovary 2020-01-15T15:00:48Z fly_anatomy.ontology Immature ovary of the larva prior to formation of the adult ovary during metamorphosis. In a newly hatched larva, this contains around 8 to 12 germline stem cells. Throughout most of the larval stage, the (larger) germ cells are found in the middle region of the ovary and the (smaller) somatic mesodermal cells are found anteriorly and posteriorly. Germ cell and mesodermal cell multiplication during larval development increases the size of the larval ovary by approximately 50 fold. Differentiation of the ovary proper begins late in the third instar. FBbt:00048539