Despite the fact that parasites are highly specialized with respect to their hosts, empirical
evidence demonstrates that host switching rather than co-speciation is the dominant factor …

Brood parasitism involves the exploitation of host parental care rather than the extraction of
resources directly from hosts. We identify defining characteristics of this strategy and …

Simple Summary Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are the most economically important
agricultural pollinator in North America, as well as being the most frequently studied bee …

Non-parasitic bees differ in the degree of their taxonomic specialisation for pollen collection
to feed their brood. Surveys of published data on pollen specialisation by bees of central …

Although indirect selection through relatives (kin selection) can explain the evolution of
effectively sterile offspring that act as helpers at the nest (eusociality) in the ants, bees, and …

Brood parasites (also known as cleptoparasites) represent a substantial fraction of global
bee diversity. Rather than constructing their own nests, these species instead invade those …

Harrison's rule, that body size is positively correlated between parasites and hosts, has been
reported in a range of taxa, but whether the rule is applicable to cleptoparasitic insects is …

Host–parasite dynamics involve coevolutionary arms races, which may lead to host
specialization and ensuing diversification. Our general understanding of the evolution of …

Most bees collect pollen and nectar for their larvae, while some also collect other resources.
We investigated the evolution of floral oil-collecting behaviour in the Apidae and the …

Recent studies show that host switching is much more frequent than originally believed and
constitutes an important driver in evolution of host-parasite associations. However, its …