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A framework for using phoresy to assess ecological transition into parasitism and mutualism

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Abstract

Phoresy is commonly considered to be a commensal interaction, in which one species hitches a ride upon a different species for dispersal among resource patches. Despite being ubiquitous, phoretic interactions are poorly investigated, limiting our current understanding of its ecological and evolutionary consequences. Furthermore, phoresy can be a precursor for different types of symbiotic interactions, including parasitism, yet empirical tests for this long-standing hypothesis are rare. Using burying beetles and their phoretic mites as a model phoresy, I review and synthesise the ecological processes driving the transition of commensalism to parasitism and/or mutualism. I argue that density-dependent effects, resource availability, life history stage, and community context all play significant roles, both during and after the transportation stage. Understanding how these factors drive variation in interaction outcomes in rapidly changing environments presents one of the major challenges in evolutionary ecology. Finally, I highlight some important future directions and research areas that will advance our understanding of the ecology and evolution of phoresy and symbiotic interactions as a whole.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Ming-Yang Chang for comments that improved the manuscript, the Kilner Group at the University of Cambridge, and the Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust for supporting the PhD fellowship with Taiwan Cambridge Scholarship.

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  1. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Syuan-Jyun Sun

  2. International Degree Program in Climate Change and Sustainable Development, National Taiwan University, 10617, Taipei, Taiwan

    Syuan-Jyun Sun

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Correspondence to Syuan-Jyun Sun.

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Sun, SJ. A framework for using phoresy to assess ecological transition into parasitism and mutualism. Symbiosis 86, 133–138 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-022-00830-7

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