Temperature mediates predation risk on invasive insects on a large tropical island

In tropical regions, insects face increased predation risks due to warmer temperatures and heightened ecological interactions. However, uncertainties remain in assessing predation risks in large tropical islands with diverse topography and high biological invasions. We conducted studies on Hainan Island, a vast tropical island, selecting 16 diverse locations to evaluate predation risk on the underground pupae of the invasive Bactrocera dorsalis. Findings show higher altitudes correlate with higher predation rates, while elevated temperatures negatively affect predation. This suggests temperature’s crucial role in shaping predation risk and activity ranges of non-native insects and native predators, impacting predation and invasive prevalence in coastal regions. Moreover, we observed higher predation rates in organic soil. The study highlights the importance of temperature-induced ecological interactions in shaping insect predation risk, confirming the enemy release hypothesis, and raising concerns about global warming’s impact on the expansion of invasive insect populations.