Data from: Higher predation risk for insect prey at low latitudes and elevations

Biotic interactions underlie ecosystem structure and function, but
predicting interaction outcomes is difficult. We tested the hypothesis
that biotic interaction strength increases toward the equator, using a
global experiment with model caterpillars to measure predation risk.
Across an 11,660-kilometer latitudinal gradient spanning six continents,
we found increasing predation toward the equator, with a parallel pattern
of increasing predation toward lower elevations. Patterns across both
latitude and elevation were driven by arthropod predators, with no
systematic trend in attack rates by birds or mammals. These matching
gradients at global and regional scales suggest consistent drivers of
biotic interaction strength, a finding that needs to be integrated into
general theories of herbivory, community organization, and life-history
evolution.