Abstract

Parasites and pathogens are ubiquitous and act as an important selection pressure on animals. Here, drawing primarily on our own research, mostly on insects, we illustrate how host-parasite interactions have played a role in the evolution of a range of phenomena, including animal coloration, social behavior, foraging ecology, sexual selection and life-history trade-offs, as well as how variation in host behavior and ecology can drive variation in parasitism risk and host allocation of resources to immunity and other anti-parasite defenses. We conclude by identifying key areas for future study.