Fortified defense: Novel mechanisms allow a treehole mosquito to resist predation from a predatory mosquito

Insects often use a suite of antipredatory defenses to avoid predation. Although larval mosquitoes exhibit behavioral modifications to avoid aquatic predators, it is not clear if other antipredator mechanisms exist for this group. Larvae of the treehole species Orthopodomyia signifera are known to coexist with the predatory mosquito Toxorhynchites rutilus, which often eliminates all other available prey.
We tested three hypotheses that could explain how Or. signifera resists predation. First, Or. signifera larvae may exhibit behavioral changes that limit interactions with Tx. rutilus, second their long thoracic setae may serve as a physical defense, and third their unusual orange color may reflect a chemical defense (aposematic coloration sequestered from secondary plant compounds form larval environments). We tested these hypotheses under laboratory conditions. For the first, we allowed predators to feed on either Or. signifera or Aedes albopictus, a species with short setae ..., , , # Fortified defense: Novel mechanisms allow a treehole mosquito to resist predation from a predatory mosquito

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8cz8w9h2j](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8cz8w9h2j)

## Description of the data and file structure

We tested three hypotheses that could explain how *Or. signifera* resists predation. First, *Or. signifera* larvae may exhibit behavioral changes that limit interactions with *Tx. rutilus*, second their long thoracic setae may serve as a physical defense, and third their unusual orange color may reflect a chemical defense (aposematic coloration sequestered from secondary plant compounds form larval environments). We tested these hypotheses under laboratory conditions. For the first, we allowed predators to feed on either *Or. signifera* or *Aedes albopictus*, a species with short setae known to be susceptible to predation by *Tx. rutilus*. Late instar *Or. signifera* were then recorded in water from either trials to determine their behavioral respon...,