Empirical database
Nine studies from empirical communities of parasite-host associations
(Table 1) were used for comparative purposes. Selection criteria was
that, in addition to information on species interaction, these
communities essentially needed to have published phylogenies for hosts
and parasites (see the details in supplemental information II). We
separated these communities according to the parasitism type and spatial
scale (Table 1 - Fig. S5-S13). For all empirical studies selected,
parasite groups are monoxenic (both ecto-endoparasites), with simple
life cycles that encompasses a single host species. All ectoparasites
analysed herein can be transmitted during the larval and adult stages
while endoparasites can be transmitted only during the larval stage.
Hence, ectoparasites are likely more prone to explore and colonize new
hosts (Boeger et al. 2005; Malcicka et al. 2015). A total of 50 runs
were performed with 250 individuals of carrying capacity, for each
configuration of the parameters of host-switching intensity.