Phoretic dispersal influences parasite population genetic structure

Dispersal is a fundamental component of the life history of most species. Dispersal influences fitness, population dynamics, gene flow, genetic drift, and population genetic structure. Even small differences in dispersal can alter ecological interactions and trigger an evolutionary cascade. Linking such ecological processes with evolutionary patterns is difficult, but can be done in the proper comparative context. Here we investigate how differences in phoretic dispersal influence the population genetic structure of two different parasites of the same host species. We focus on two species of host-specific feather lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) that co-occur on feral rock pigeons (Columba livia). Although these lice are ecologically very similar, “wing lice\" (Columbicola columbae) disperse phoretically by “hitchhiking” on pigeon flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), while \"body lice\" (Campanulotes compar) do not. Differences in the phoretic dispersal of these species are thought to underlie o...