Evolution of Optimal Group Attack, with Particular Reference to Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

Abstract
A general model for the benefits and costs of group attack by small predators that kill large prey was developed, and provided support for the hypothesis that bark beetles infesting pine trees have evolved group attack behavior that maximizes individual fitness. The model also provides a basis for evaluating the conditions under which social hunting behavior is likely to evolve, and provides insights on the population dynamics of animals that hunt in groups.