Cooler world, greater danger: Cool climates boost native predator diversity and subsequently heighten insect predation risk in the tropics

In the background of global warming, the predictive models in ecological forecasting have markedly heightened our grasp of the dynamics of temperature-driven predation. However, a holistic understanding of temperature's role in the interplay within ecosystems, especially between native and nonnative predators remains a critical gap in knowledge, beckoning for in-depth, advanced investigations. Here, we have delved into the temperature's sway over the diversity and dominance among predator communities, both native and nonnative, within tropical ecosystems. Our findings identified a direct nexus between ambient temperature and the predator community's configuration; where cooler zones saw a proliferation in the diversity of native predators and a concurrent dip in dominance across both native and nonnative predators. In contrast, hot zones dovetailed with an upsurge in both the diversity and dominance of nonnative predators. Additionally, habitat fragmentation emerged as significantly contingent upon temperature variations. This dynamic synergy between the structuring of predator communities and habitat fragmentation is critical in modulating predation risks, implicating that cooler habitats with diversified native predators and diminished fragmentation intensify predatory threats. Conversely, hot habitats tipped the scales in favor of invasive predators and coupled with escalated fragmentation, alleviated the predation risks. This study charts the intricate mosaic of biodiversity and multi-species interactions mediated by temperature. Our insights call for a subtle yet substantive re-examination of predatory risks impinging upon insect populations against the backdrop of augmenting climatic fluctuations and pervasive biological invasions.