Data from: Genotype-specific interactions between parasitic arthropods

Despite the ubiquity of coinfection, we know little of the effects of
intra-specific genetic variability on coinfection by distinct parasite
species. Here we test the hypothesis that parasite multiplication depends
on the combination of parasite genotypes that coinfect the host (that is
Genotype.parasite × Genotype.parasite interaction). To that aim, we
infected tomato leaves with the ecto-parasitic mites Tetranychus urticae
and Tetranychus evansi. We tested all possible combinations between four
T. urticae and two T. evansi populations sampled on different hosts or
localities. There was no universal (that is genotype-independent) effect
of coinfection on mite multiplication; in many cases the two species had
no effect on each other. However, several combinations of T. evansi and T.
urticae populations led to elevated T. evansi numbers. Similarly, T.
urticae reproduction largely depended on the interaction between T.
urticae and T. evansi populations. This evidence for genotype-by-genotype
interaction between coinfecting parasites indicates that the effect of
coinfection on parasite epidemiology and evolution may vary in space
according to the genetic composition of local parasite populations; it
further suggests the possibility of coevolution between parasites species
that share the same hosts.