Patterns of host use by brood parasitic Maculinea butterflies across Europe.

摘要: The range of hosts exploited by a parasite is determined several factors, including host availability, infectivity and exploitability. Each these can be the target natural selection on both parasite, which will determine local outcome interactions, potentially lead to coevolution. However, geographical variation in use specificity has rarely been investigated. Maculinea (= Phengaris) butterflies are brood parasites Myrmica ants that patchily distributed across Palaearctic have studied extensively Europe. Here, we review published records ant European species, as well providing new for more than 100 sites This comprehensive survey demonstrates while all but one species found recorded hosts, most common often disproportionately highly exploited. Host sharing switching relatively common, there evidence specialization at many sites, varies among species. We show display features expected coevolution occur geographic mosaic, probably allowed rare persist article part theme issue 'The coevolutionary biology parasitism: from mechanism pattern'.