Mosquitoes modulate leg dynamics at takeoff to accommodate surface roughness.

Insects perform takeoffs from a nearly unquantifiable number of surface permutations and many use their legs to initiate upward movement prior to the onset of wingbeats, including the mosquito. In this study we examine the unprovoked pre-takeoff mechanics of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes from two surfaces of contrasting roughness, one with roughness similar to polished glass and the other comparable to the human forearm. Using high-speed videography, we find mosquitos exhibit two distinct leg actions prior to takeoff, the widely observed push and a previously undocumented leg-strike, where one of the rearmost legs is raised and strikes the ground. Across 106 takeoff sequences we observe a greater incidence of leg-strikes from the smoother surface, and rationalize this observation by comparing the characteristic size of surface features on the mosquito tarsi and each test surface. Measurements of pre-takeoff kinematics reveal both strategies remain under the mechanosensory detection threshold of mammalian hair and produce nearly identical vertical body velocities. Lastly, we develop a model that explicates the measured leg velocity of striking legs utilized by mosquitoes, 0.59 m s-1.