Data from diet C:N ratio and temperature influence the performance and coloration of tobacco hornworms

Insect coloration mediated by melanization can assist in dealing with environmental temperatures. However, melanin synthesis can be costly and depends on the ability of insects to acquire enough energy and nutrients from their diets. Due to the increased plant C:N ratio associated with elevated CO2 concentrations, insect herbivores’ melanization could be limited by the amount of nitrogen they acquire from their host plants. To investigate how diet C:N impacts the potential color response to temperature, we used Manduca sexta caterpillars reared at different combinations of temperatures and diet C:N ratio, and measured pupal mass and development time (performance metrics) and color morphology. The high-temperature treatment (27°C) had a positive impact on larvae performance, whereas a nitrogen-poor diet was related to lower performance. Using a fitness metric that considers both pupal mass and development time, we found a positive effect of both high-temperature and nitrogen-rich diet tr..., , , # Data for diet C:N ratio and temperature influence the performance and coloration of tobacco hornworms

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.crjdfn3f9](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.crjdfn3f9)

## Description of the data and file structure

Soon after eclosion, *Manduca sexta* larvae were reared under two temperature conditions (18 or 27 degrees Celsius) and two diet treatments (N-poor or N-rich). We measured pupal mass, development time, and survival as performance metrics, all data are in the 'Performance' csv file. We photographed the 5th instar larvae before the wandering stage and measured color as RGB, Luminance, and Value, and all data are in the 'Color' csv file. **R and Python codes are available in the Github repository: [https://github.com/mayracvidal1/Manduca_color](https://github.com/mayracvidal1/Manduca_color)**

### Files and variables

#### File: Color.xlsx

**Description:** Data file for color metrics

##### Variables

* ID: individual larva identifier
* Diet: type of diet t...