MAB-5/Hox and LIN-39/Hox have well-defined opposing, cell autonomous roles in QL and QR migration, respectively. Here we demonstrate overlapping roles of these genes in Q descendant migration, and find a non-autonomous role for MAB-5 in this regard. The QR and QL descendants AQR and PQR migrate long distances in opposite anterior-posterior directions. The Hox transcription factor LIN-39 cell-autonomously promotes anterior migration of the QR lineage, and MAB-5/Hox cell-autonomously promotes posterior migration of the QL lineage. We have discovered parallel, roles for LIN-39, MAB-5, and another posterior Hox factor EGL-5 in migration of both QR and QL lineages. Additionally we show that MAB-5, and EGL-5 can function non-autonomously to promote Q lineage migration. Although alone, mab-5 mutants have anteriorly-misdirected PQR (from the QL lineage), and lin-39 have weak defects in anterior AQR migration (from the QR lineage), the lin-39 mab-5 double mutant displayed severe anterior migration defects of both AQR and misdirected PQR. mab-5 is not expressed in the QR lineage, and lin-39 mab-5 defects were rescued by mab-5 expression from posterior body wall muscles, demonstrating a non-autonomous role of MAB-5 in Q descendant migration. egl-5 mutants displayed AQR and PQR defects that were rescued by muscle-specific egl-5 expression, indicating a non-autonomous role of EGL-5 in AQR and PQR migration. In the triple mutant lin-39 mab-5 egl-5, AQR and PQR largely failed to migrate from the Q cell birthplace, indicating parallel roles of LIN-39, MAB-5, and EGL-5, likely in body wall muscles, in Q descendant migration. We hypothesize that Hox genes both pattern the posterior region of the animal creating an environment amenable for Q cell migration (non-autonomous role), and control how the Q cells respond to that environment (autonomous role). An RNA seq study identified spon-1 as a potential MAB-5 target gene. spon-1 encodes a secreted cell adhesion molecule implicated in muscle and neuronal adhesion similar to vertebrate F-spondin. We show that spon-1 non-autonomously controls Q descendant migration through expression in posterior body wall muscles, and that MAB-5 activity drives expression from the spon-1 promoter in body wall muscles, confirming the RNA seq result. Further studies are aimed at testing the idea that spon-1 is a target of MAB-5 in body wall muscles. In sum, these studies demonstrate non-autonomous roles of Hox genes and SPON-1 in migration of the Q descendants AQR and PQR.