Plays a role in axon pruning in larval mushroom body neurons during metamorphosis (PubMed:16772168). Plays a role in the infiltration of glial cell processes into mushroom body lobes and the subsequent engulfment of degenerating axon branches (PubMed:16772168). Involved in Drpr-mediated phagocytosis of apoptotic cells (PubMed:19927123). Required for bacterial phagocytosis (PubMed:19890048). During neuromuscular junction development, required for the clearance of pruned ghost boutons and presynaptic debris and for normal synaptic growth (PubMed:19707574). May interact with Drpr. Detected in brain cells adjacent to the mushroom body. Expression is low in wandering larvae, elevated 6 hours after puparium formation and back to low levels 12 hours after puparium formation. Detected in infiltrating processes of a subset of glial cells adjacent to mushroom body dorsal lobes. Embryonic hemocytes display a reduced level of apoptotic cell phagocytosis (PubMed:19927123). Larval hemocytes display reduced bacterial phagocytosis (PubMed:19890048). RNAi-mediated knockdown in muscle leads to an increase in the number of ghost synaptic boutons but does not affect the deposition of presynaptic debris while RNAi-mediated knockdown in glia leads to a significant increase in presynaptic debris deposition but does not affect the number of ghost boutons (PubMed:19707574). Belongs to the ced-6 family.