Understanding how parasite communities assemble and persist in the wild requires integrating both spatial and temporal dynamics, especially in systems involving multiple co‐circulating lineages. Using a unique 28‐year dataset of individually monitored great tits ( Parus major ) from five sites in western Switzerland, we investigated the eco‐evolutionary dynamics of haemosporidian parasites ( Plasmodium and Haemoproteus ). We e...

Understanding factors influencing the dynamics and distribution of parasites is essential to decipher the mechanism behind their spread and the identification of populations with elevated risks of infection. Bats—together with the diverse parasites they host and the influence of their social behaviour on parasitism—offer a suitable system. We investigated the extent to which differences in life history traits between parasite...

In recent decades, the emergence and resurgence of vector‐borne diseases have been well documented worldwide, especially in tropical regions where protection and defense tools for human populations are still very limited. In this context, the dynamics of pathogens are influenced by landscape anthropization (i.e., urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural development), and one of the mechanisms through which this occurs is...

Host shifts can cause novel infectious diseases, and is a key process in diversification. Disentangling the effects of host shift vs. those of cospeciation is non‐trivial as both can result in phylogenic congruence. We develop a new framework based on network analysis and Approximate Bayesian Computation to quantify host shift and cospeciation rates in host‐parasite systems. Our method enables estimation of the expected time t...

Aim We investigate the population genetic structure of the Maghrebian bat, Myotis punicus , between the mainland and islands to assess the island colonization pattern and current gene flow between nearby islands and within the mainland. Location North Africa and the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia. Methods We sequenced part of the control region ( HVII ) of 79 bats across 11 colonies. The phylogeographical patter...

Movements and spatial distribution of host populations are expected to shape the genetic structure of their parasite populations. Comparing the genetic patterns of both interacting species may improve our understanding of their evolutionary history. Moreover, genetic analyses of parasites with horizontal transmission may serve as indicators of historical events or current demographic processes that are not apparent in the gene...

Information about the population genetic structures of parasites is important for an understanding of parasite transmission pathways and ultimately the co‐evolution with their hosts. If parasites cannot disperse independently of their hosts, a parasite’s population structure will depend upon the host’s spatial distribution. Geographical barriers affecting host dispersal can therefore lead to structured parasite populations. Ho...

Major life history traits, such as fecundity and survival, have been consistently demonstrated to covary positively in nature, some individuals having more resources than others to allocate to all aspects of their life history. Yet, little is known about which resources (or state variables) may account for such covariation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are natural by‐products of metabolism and, when ROS production exceeds ant...

A leading hypothesis linking parasites to social evolution is that more genetically diverse social groups better resist parasites . Moreover, group diversity can encompass factors other than genetic variation that may also influence disease resistance. Here, we tested whether group diversity improved disease resistance in an ant species with natural variation in colony queen number. We formed experimental groups of workers and...

Social organisms are exposed to many pathogens, and have evolved various defence mechanisms to limit the cost of parasitism. Here we report the first evidence that ants use plant compounds as a collective mean of defence against microorganisms. The wood ants Formica paralugubris often incorporate large quantities of solidified conifer resin into their nests. By creating resin‐free and resin‐rich experimental nests, we demonstr...