Forest canopy insects are safer from predators in the tropics than at higher latitudes

Theory suggests that predation pressure decreases with latitude. To test this hypothesis, we studied predation for insect on forest understory and canopy vegetation using six canopy cranes across a latitudinal gradient (51°N to 34°S). We find contrasting predation patterns: predation is highest in the canopy at high latitudes, whereas it decreases towards low latitudes, where it is more pronounced in the understory. These differential latitudinal trends are driven by shifts in the relative roles of bird and arthropod predators, alongside variations in natural prey abundance. Our findings highlight how predator-prey dynamics differ across forest strata and challenge assumptions about latitudinal predation gradients. Predation rate flips with latitude: it is strongest in the canopy at high latitudes, but stronger in the understory in the tropics. This reversal reflects stratification of predators, reshaping how we understand forest food webs across vertical strata.