The Drosophila visual system offers an excellent opportunity for studying the development of proper retinotopic connections at the level of individual identifiable cell types. Recent work suggests that, despite obvious anatomical and developmental differences, at least some of the general developmental strategies operating in the Drosophila visual system parallel observations made previously for vertebrates. The extensive repertoire of powerful genetic and molecular techniques available in Drosophila can now be directed towards determining whether these parallels also reflect similarities in the underlying molecular mechanisms.