Aim Biogeographic processes can profoundly shape the connectivity and evolutionary potential of arthropod disease vectors. We investigated how Panama's ecological and topographic transitions structure populations of the kissing bug Rhodnius pallescens , the primary vector of the Chagas disease agent Trypanosoma cruzi in the region. Location Central America. Period Present. Methods Using 3RAD sequencing, we analysed genome‐wide...

Most emerging pathogens can infect multiple species, underlining the importance of understanding the ecological and evolutionary factors that allow some hosts to harbour greater infection prevalence and share pathogens with other species. However, our understanding of pathogen jumps is based primarily around viruses, despite bacteria accounting for the greatest proportion of zoonoses. Because bacterial pathogens in bats (order...

Global insect pollinator declines have prompted habitat restoration efforts, including pollinator‐friendly gardening. Gardens can provide nectar and pollen for adult insects and offer reproductive resources, such as nesting sites and caterpillar host plants. We conducted a review and meta‐analysis to examine how decisions made by gardeners on plant selection and garden maintenance influence pollinator survival, abundance, and...

Body condition metrics are widely used to infer animal health and to assess costs of parasite infection. Since parasites harm their hosts, ecologists might expect negative relationships between infection and condition in wildlife, but this assumption is challenged by studies showing positive or null condition–infection relationships. Here, we outline common condition metrics used by ecologists in studies of parasitism, and con...

Environmental change induces some wildlife populations to shift from migratory to resident behaviours. Newly formed resident populations could influence the health and behaviour of remaining migrants. We investigated migrant–resident interactions among monarch butterflies and consequences for life history and parasitism. Eastern North American monarchs migrate annually to Mexico, but some now breed year‐round on exotic milkwee...

Addressing population declines of migratory insects requires linking populations across different portions of the annual cycle and understanding the effects of variation in weather and climate on productivity, recruitment, and patterns of long‐distance movement. We used stable H and C isotopes and geospatial modeling to estimate the natal origin of monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus ) in eastern North America using over 10...

Illuminating the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of parasites is one of the most pressing issues facing modern science, and is critical for basic science, the global economy, and human health. Extremely important to this effort are data on the disease‐causing organisms of wild animal hosts (including viruses, bacteria, protozoa, helminths, arthropods, and fungi). Here we present an updated version of the Global Mammal Par...

Identifying drivers of infectious disease patterns and impacts at the broadest scales of organisation is one of the most crucial challenges for modern science, yet answers to many fundamental questions remain elusive. These include what factors commonly facilitate transmission of pathogens to novel host species, what drives variation in immune investment among host species, and more generally what drives global patterns of par...

Urbanisation and agriculture cause declines for many wildlife, but some species benefit from novel resources, especially food, provided in human‐dominated habitats. Resulting shifts in wildlife ecology can alter infectious disease dynamics and create opportunities for cross‐species transmission, yet predicting host–pathogen responses to resource provisioning is challenging. Factors enhancing transmission, such as increased agg...

Parasite‐driven declines in wildlife have become increasingly common and can pose significant risks to natural populations. We used the IUCN Red List of Threatened and Endangered Species and compiled data on hosts threatened by infectious disease and their parasites to better understand the role of infectious disease in contemporary host extinctions. The majority of mammal species considered threatened by parasites were either...

Seasonal variations in temperature, rainfall and resource availability are ubiquitous and can exert strong pressures on population dynamics. Infectious diseases provide some of the best‐studied examples of the role of seasonality in shaping population fluctuations. In this paper, we review examples from human and wildlife disease systems to illustrate the challenges inherent in understanding the mechanisms and impacts of seaso...

Monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus ) are parasitized by the protozoan Ophryocystis elektroscirrha throughout their geographical range. Monarchs inhabiting seasonally fluctuating environments migrate annually, and parasite prevalence is lower among migratory relative to non‐migratory populations. One explanation for this pattern is that long‐distance migration weeds out infected animals, thus reducing parasite prevalence an...