Divergent strategy for adaptation to drought stress in two sibling species of montium species subgroup: Drosophila kikkawai and Drosophila leontia

► D. leontia and D. kikkawai have divergent strategies for desiccation stress tolerance. ► We observed clinal variation for body melanization in D. kikkawai. ► By contrast, cuticular lipid mass showed positive cline in D. leontia across latitude. ► Use of organic solvent supported water proofing role of cuticular lipids in D. leontia. ► Melanization & cuticular lipid represent alternative strategies for drought stress.