For larval experiments, eggs of the Asian bush mosquito were collected from May to August 2015 and 2016 (Additional file 1: Table S1) using rainwater-filled black plastic buckets with inset pressboard sticks, the latter serving as an oviposition substrate. The buckets were left for seven days in a private garden in Biberach (Baden), Germany. Oviposition sticks were collected and stored in a closed plastic bag at 25 °C, 90% relative humidity and a 16:8 h light: dark photoperiod in a climate chamber (Flohr, Utrecht, the Netherlands) for at least eight days (Additional file 1: Table S1). Larval hatch was stimulated by placing oviposition sticks in deionised water at 25 °C. Only first-instar larvae younger than 24 h were used in the experiments. The day of the onset of the experiment was considered day 0. Eggs for egg experiments were collected during summer (June, July) 2016 and 2017 (Additional file 1: Table S1) to ensure that they were not in diapause. Eggs were stored in sealed plastic bags at 25 °C until experimental onset (Additional file 1: Table S1).