Data for: Direct and indirect benefits of cooperation in collective defense against predation

The evolution and maintenance of public goods cooperation, despite cheating, remains a key interest in social biology. Specifically, identifying how ecological factors determine the direct and indirect benefits that maintain cooperation has proven challenging, as these can vary significantly across species and environments. Here, we study this problem by using the social pine sawfly Neodiprion sertifer (Hymenoptera) as a model system. During their larval stage, N. sertifer live in groups and collectively secrete a defensive fluid against predators. This behavior comprises a public good as it is costly to exhibit and beneficial to others, and individuals vary in their contribution to group defense. We experimentally manipulated individual contributions to defense to assess how these influence individual survival. Our results indicate that defense has a group-level benefit as individuals were more likely to survive in cooperative groups that had a higher proportion of defending larvae. Mo..., , # Data for: Direct and indirect benefits of cooperation in collective defense against predation

## Description of the data and file structure

Groups can cooperate to achieve shared benefits, but cooperation faces an evolutionary problem because freeloaders can gain the same benefits while contributing less. Although theory suggests many ways cooperation can persist, empirical evidence from natural systems is limited. Studying pine sawfly larvae, which defend themselves collectively against predators, shows that cooperation improves survival for individuals and their relatives. However, larvae adjust their defensive effort depending on group composition, contributing less in larger or male-biased groups. This flexibility creates variation in cooperation while preventing freeloaders from dominating the population.

#### Data set: Predation experiment with ants

S1_predation_experiment.xlsx

| VARIABLE | DEFINITION ..., ,