Best parasite ecology cartoon of 2017?

Happy New Year!

Before we leave 2017 behind us, let’s take a walk down memory lane, and re-visit some of the blog’s best parasite ecology cartoons. At the end, you can vote on your favorite 2017 cartoon.

If you want to delve even further into the past, you can also check out some of the previous best-of-the-best winners: In 2013, the winner was “Social Networking in Lemurs,” a cartoon about this study that painted lice on lemurs to infer lemur contacts. In 2014, the winner was “Oldest Trick in the Book,” a romantic cartoon about a snail who was castrated by trematodes. In 2015, the winner was “Bring out yer dead (prairie dogs),” a Monty Python reference tied to a cool prairie dog plague paper. And in 2016, the winner was my cartoon rendering of Frogald Trump.

Here are the cartoons that I’ll open the voting for this year:

(1) Ticks suck moose dry

(2) Parasite valentine

(3) Orange amphipod zombie apocalypse

(4) Parasites and de-extinction

(5) This terrifying clown isopod

Here’s the poll! You can only vote for one cartoon.

 

12 Days of Parasite Ecology Christmas

Happy Holidays, Everyone! I already spread some parasite love this season by giving Parasite Rex and a mistletoe ornament as a white elephant gift, but I feel like I have even more to give. So here’s my first and best take on a parasite ecology Christmas carol. You can click through the links to learn more about each system, should you so choose.

On the 12th day of Parasite Ecology Christmas, my true love sent to me:

12 nematomorph-infected crickets leaping

11 male crabs doing ladies’ dancing

10 Indian pipe plants piping

9 parasitoid wasps a-drumming (photo from here)

8 ants a-milking (I snuck in a mutualism! Deal with it!)

7 leeches a-swimming

6 cuckoos a-laying

5 TROPHOZOITE RINGS

(One hundred and) 4 Galapagos lice on birds

3 French T. gondii infections (cartoon from here)

2 turtle acanthocephalans

And a partridge that was covered in fleas!

The partridge lives in the Pear tree -but what lives on the partridge?
well the flea Ceratophyllus (Emmareus) garei is one such species #animalsofchristmas #museumadvent. check out @NHM_Digitise for amazing high res images of fleas #christmas pic.twitter.com/67Z6IinMX0

— NHM_Fleas (@NHM_Fleas) December 15, 2017

If you’re looking for more Christmas-themed parasite topics, you can check out my mistletoe-themed version of Twas the Night Before Christmas or my take on Santa’s bizarre roof top behaviors. See y’all next year!

Advice on how to become a successful parasite ecologist, Part III: Robert Poulin

Students just discovering the joys of parasite ecology often find themselves wondering: how do I get there from here? Or perhaps wondering what a career in parasite ecology even looks like. So I’ve organized this series of posts from well-known parasite ecologists who can give us some insight into how they got started and their suggestions for success. So far, we’ve heard from Dr. Armand Kuris, from the University of California Santa Barbara, and Dr. Pieter Johnson, from the University of Colorado Boulder. This week, we have some great advice from Dr. Robert Poulin, from the University of Otago.

Who is Robert Poulin?

I’ve never actually managed to meet Robert in person, but he’s an excellent example of success in parasite ecology, because he’s a giant in the field. You’ve probably seen his work on this blog many times (e.g., here); he even won the Golden Cercaria Award for being the most prolific parasite ecologist of the 21st century! Furthermore, after I began this post series, some of Robert’s former students/mentees specifically wrote to me to tell me that Robert was the perfect candidate for a student advice post. So without further ado, here are his thoughts!

Robert, how long have you been a parasite ecologist, and what do you study?

“I started thinking of myself as a parasite ecologist, instead of simply an ecologist, in the late 1980s when I was a graduate student. My research group’s interests have evolved and broadened over the years, but have remained aligned with four major themes. First, we explore the fascinating phenomenon of host behavioural manipulation by parasites, from its ecological significance down to its underlying mechanisms. Second, we investigate the forces shaping the evolution of parasites, in particular the evolution of life history traits such as body size, host specificity, and the complexity of transmission pathways. Third, we study the patterns and determinants of parasite diversity and biogeography, from small to global scales. Finally, we investigate the role of parasites in natural ecosystems, i.e. how they affect community structure and food web stability, and how parasitism may interact with environmental change to influence the properties of ecosystems. Our research uses multiple approaches, and extends to all host or parasite taxa, and to marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.”

How did you get into parasite ecology?

“I’m an accidental parasitologist. I started off in graduate school with a pretty basic ecological research topic: what abiotic and biotic factors regulate growth and survival of young sticklebacks in their first months of life. My very first field sample revealed “little things” attached to the fish. Working in a remote village on the shores of the St. Lawrence River estuary in the days before the internet, I had access to no information and could only guess at what they were. They later turned out to be parasitic crustaceans (copepods and branchiurans). It took only very simple preliminary observations in aquaria to suggest that infection by these “little things” caused the fish to behave differently, from their tendency to school to their choice of microhabitat. Months later, back at the university, I convinced my adviser that I wanted to re-direct my thesis to look at the behavioural effects of parasite infection. That was it; I have not looked back nor regretted it since.”

What kinds of skills or training do you look for when you’re considering taking on new graduate students?

“Beyond the obvious, e.g. solid formation in ecology or parasitology, an ability to write, strong quantitative skills, demonstrated ability to get the job done, etc., I think passion and drive are essential. I prefer enthusiastic students who need to get held back a little rather than those that need constant nudging. Also, my research group is diverse and cosmopolitan, so I look for people who are likely to fit well in our team.”

What are the most important things that graduate students can do to become successful parasite ecologists?

“Instead of repeating the advice I often hear in reply to this question (publish early and in top journals, etc), here are a few other thoughts. First, think and read broadly, well outside the bounds of your current research. New concepts emerging in peripheral disciplines can prove extremely useful to the study of parasite ecology. The first person to read about these new ideas and apply them to parasite ecology moves one step ahead of the pack. For example, late in my graduate studies and into my postdoc, I read about the emergence of two new approaches to the analysis of large datasets, unknown in ecology then but now widely used: meta-analysis and phylogenetically-controlled comparative analysis. Having just read about these techniques in journals of social sciences and evolutionary biology, I was among the very first to apply these methods to parasite ecology. The papers I published from this work have generally become well-cited and certainly boosted my early career.

Second, actively seek opportunities to collaborate, either with other parasite ecologists or with colleagues in other areas. The synergy of ideas and the long-term relationships that come out of collaborative projects are certainly important for success.

Finally, don’t be afraid to take a few risks. You may have an idea for a really cool experiment that, if successful, would yield super interesting results, but everyone tells you its chances of success are low. You don’t want all your experiments to be risky, but taking the odd risk with the possibility of a nice payoff can be worth it.”

Is there anything else that you’d like to share with the blog audience?

“Maybe a final bit of advice for those who want to pursue a career in parasite ecology (or science in general): keep your chin up! As you submit a growing number of articles, grant proposals or job applications, rejection becomes inevitable. A degree of resilience is essential to cope with the first few rejections and carry on undeterred. Persistence is a key ingredient of success, especially early in your career.”

All great advice. Many thanks to Robert for contributing to the blog and our future careers!

Unofficial ESA 2017 Parasite Ecology Cartoon Contest

ESA 2017 is next week! Yikes, that’s soon!

As usual, I’ll have tons of fun judging an Unofficial ESA Parasite Ecology Cartoon Contest. My favorite cartoonist will be awarded an almost entirely worthless prize (i.e., some publicity for their cool science and bragging rights for a year).

To participate, all you need to do is put a cartoon in your talk. The cartoons don’t need to be funny! They also don’t need to be your personal artwork – borrowing with permission and attribution is fine. I’m just looking for cartoons that help communicate your work to the audience. That being said, anything punny is worth mega bonus points.

Somehow, the Daphnia cartoons always win, so all of you non-Daphnia people better step up this year.

To anticipate some questions:

Can you use cartoons from this site, if you use proper attribution? Yes!

Can the judge be swayed by offers of free lattes or postdoc positions? No! (Except yes. So much yes.)

Good luck!!

Advice on how to become a successful parasite ecologist, Part II: Pieter Johnson

Students just discovering the joys of parasite ecology often find themselves wondering: how do I get there from here? Or perhaps wondering what a career in parasite ecology even looks like. So I’ve organized this series of posts from well-known parasite ecologists who can give us some insight into how they got started and their suggestions for success. Last week, we heard from Dr. Armand Kuris from the University of California Santa Barbara. This week, we have some great advice from Dr. Pieter Johnson from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Who is Pieter Johnson?

When you read cool papers as a new student, it’s often hard to imagine the authors as real people instead of superheroes. So I will begin with a story about the Clark Kent version of Piet Johnson. In 2015, I met Piet for the first time. I’d actually talked to him twice before via email – once when I was an undergrad, and once when he emailed the anonymously-written Parasite Ecology blog – and he was so nice via email that I wasn’t particularly anxious about introducing myself at ESA. At least, I wasn’t anxious until he said in a ponderous voice, “Ahhh, I’ve been waiting to meet you.” Apparently my secret identity wasn’t as secret as I thought… but I digress.

After a brief chat, several freshwater ecologists – including Piet and myself – headed to a dive bar for some evening festivities. In fact, the bar was called The Dive Bar, and it housed a huge aquarium full of fish and a real live mermaid that periodically swam into view and blew kisses to the patrons. That’s where I learned that Piet is an enthusiastic and highly driven ecologist. He was fueled by scientific passion (and perhaps a dare) to go study mermaid ecology. Mermaids are known to be quite dangerous, so he prudently decided to get in the mermaid tank to study the habitat while the mermaid wasn’t present. And then he left to go do just that, taking nothing but a somewhat hastily concocted research plan. Coincidentally, a large red light began flashing behind the bar moments later, and Piet returned shortly after to report that you need special permits to study the endangered mermaid, and alas, he did not have such a permit.

And now for the superhero story. When he isn’t crashing mermaid parties, Dr. Johnson is busy being a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. His graduate students and postdocs have gone on to be successful parasite ecologists, and Piet is one of the best examples of productivity and success in the field of parasite ecology. In fact, he’s one of the most prolific parasite ecologists of the 21^st century. He’s published 125 papers, some of which you can find summarized on this blog (here, here, here, and here). And his very first paper, which he submitted as an undergraduate, was published in Science.

So, without further ado, here’s his take on how to become a successful parasite ecologist.

Piet, how long have you been a parasite ecologist, and what do you study?

“Since the early 1990s. I study the role of parasites and pathogens in ecological communities and ecosystems. In its simplest essence, I’m often interested in what a world without parasites would look like – how would things be different? I’m biased in favor of freshwater systems, which have historically been a very rich arena for research on community and ecosystem ecology, even if the contributions of parasites were not always broadly considered by ecologists. Our group tries to bring a broad range of perspectives and approaches to this question, with particular emphasis on linking large-scale empirical datasets with experiments and theory.”

How did you get into parasite ecology?

“Through the back door. I’m primarily an ecologist who became interested in parasites and what they were doing. When I was a student, a lot of ecology textbooks barely mentioned parasites in deference to other ecological interactions such as competition and predation. The perception was that parasites and disease were more in the realm of veterinary science, parasitology, and epidemiology rather than core components of ecology. When I first started investigating frog deformities I kept on noticing what I would later learn were parasite cysts while examining animals under the microscope. At the time, it was difficult to find knowledgeable collaborators or faculty, and so I ended up spending a lot of time with textbooks and primary literature that eventually got me hooked on parasites. From my background in ecology, it was quickly apparent that there were many rich opportunities to better integrate research between ecology and parasitology/disease biology.”

What kinds of skills or training do you look for when you’re considering taking on new graduate students?

“That’s a tough one. I think I look for that right balance between someone who is a big picture thinker but can also get a project finished. Someone who is passionate about scientific questions but has a healthy respect for data and what goes into collecting it – i.e., why details matter. I also look for someone who would mesh well with the current lab group and be fun to work with (after all, graduate school can last a while!). Sense of humor can help here. I therefore rely heavily on the assessments of my current and former graduate students when interviewing a candidate.”

What are the most important things that graduate students can do to become successful parasite ecologists?

“Working in disease ecology is challenging because it really requires that you master multiple fields of study, often demanding that you keep on top of literatures such as ecology, parasitology, epidemiology and aspects of veterinary science. This is also what makes it interesting and creates the potential to market yourself to multiple audiences, job opportunities, journals, etc. With this in mind, I think it’s essential to begin developing your own network early, reaching out to collaborate with other scientists, attend (and present) at diverse conferences, and in general to talk about your research (which will force you to refine it with others’ feedback). Second, I tend to emphasize the ‘learn by doing’ model – while it’s great to continue thinking, reading and refining, start a project early even if it’s not your magnum opus. Same goes with publishing – start early and learn to enjoy it as a major forum of communication. No one is born a good scientific writer so there’s really only one way to practice. And finally, take your ideas seriously. Most projects fail, but we often come up with better ideas while watching our initial project go down in flames. Write those ideas down (or the ones that come to you when you’re supposed to be doing something else) and, as the sting of your failed project fades, throw yourself into Plan B. Or Plan C… While science is often portrayed as an elegant, formalized test of pre-conceived hypotheses, much of it is iterative, messy, and opportunistic — being ready to recognize those opportunities is invaluable.”

That’s a lot of excellent advice! If you want to know more, I’d recommend finding Piet at a conference – maybe you can go study mermaids together!

How to become a successful parasite ecologist, Part I: Armand Kuris

Careers are odd things. The most important moments in your career might be purely serendipitous, causing you to owe the next 40 or 50 years of your life to being in the right place at the right time with the right people. But to capitalize on those chance events when they occur, you need the right training, hard work, and great mentors.

Careers in parasite ecology are no exception to these general rules, and students just discovering the joys of parasite ecology often find themselves wondering: how do I get there from here? Or perhaps wondering what a career in parasite ecology even looks like. So I’ve organized a series of posts from well-known parasite ecologists who can give us some insight into how they got started and their suggestions for success. You’ll see that the leaders in our field have had diverse beginnings and diverse careers, and they also have diverse advice for students. Thus, the advice contained herein is not meant to be “one size fits all,” but I do hope that there is something here for everyone.

Who is to Armand Kuris?

My first interview was with Dr. Armand Kuris, professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology at the University of California Santa Barbara. I need to research this more, but Armand might be the first official “parasite ecologist,” because he specifically applied for and was accepted to a tenure track position for a “parasite ecologist” at UCSB back in 1975.

Armand’s work has been hugely influential in its own right, but he is perhaps equally well known for training exceptional students. Also, his famous parasitology course has received rave reviews. (I can’t wait to audit it myself!) Given his very student-friendly attitude, I thought he’d be a great first interview. And since I now get to see Armand every week, I had the opportunity to interview him in person. I’ve done my best to summarize his charismatic answers here:

What does Armand study?

Armand leads the UCSB Parasite Ecology lab with Kevin Lafferty and Mark Torchin, and their lab group is somewhat unique in that they have a lab mission statement. The mission of the UCSB Parasite Ecology lab is to understand the role of infectious processes in ecosystems. ANY ecosystem and ANY parasite are fair game! (But they do have their favorites.) You can see this diversity of lab interests on their webpage.

How long has Armand been a parasite ecologist, and how did he get into parasite ecology? (Also, what does Armand wish he studied?)

I’m sure that Armand will appreciate me telling you that he has been a parasite ecologist since before I was born; he started in 1964. Actually, he was a parasite ecologist even before my mom was born (if you go by the age that she tells people). That’s a lot of parasite ecology!

So, how did he get into parasite ecology way back in 1964? “By accident.” Armand had intended to go off to graduate school to become, “G-d’s gift to minnow taxonomy.” (Did I mention that he’s a character?) But his intended graduate advisor tragically passed away, forcing Armand to make other plans. He had enjoyed an undergraduate parasitology course at Tulane University with Frank Sogandares, where Armand was given a nutria (!!) to dissect and enjoyed thinking about complex life cycles. So he went off to do his Masters studying the myxozoan parasites of freshwater fishes. After that, he went on to a more ecology-focused PhD thesis, where he studied an isopod that is a parasitic castrator of crabs.

To his great dismay, Armand never returned to studying fishes, even though he loves them. Instead, he maintains beautiful aquaria and fish ponds here in Santa Barbara, while mostly studying invertebrates. I, for one, am very glad that he joined the Dark Side.

What kinds of skills or training does Armand look for in perspective graduate students?

Nothing in particular, actually! He’s more interested in finding students who are passionate, willing to think, and have demonstrated good work ethic. He also looks for students whose personalities will mesh well with the rest of the UCSB Parasite Ecology Lab.

What does Armand consider to be the most important things that graduate students can do to become successful parasite ecologists?

Picking the right thesis project is critical, and Armand suggests tackling the most important issue that you think you can do something about, and making sure that you care about that project.

He’s also a strong proponent of side projects, which he calls “adventure science.” Dan Janzen, the famous conservationist, taught Armand that there are two types of grad students, those that are r-selected and those that are K-selected students. The quick-to-finish r-selected strategy can be great for some students. But Armand promotes a K-selected strategy where students have more side projects. Taking expeditions and adventures when they are available enriches students’ knowledge and helps students network and gain important skills and experiences.

Armand has a wealth of other knowledge for graduate students, but instead of including it all here, I’ll encourage you to seek him out at a conference!  You can also find more in these video interviews: here and here.

Mad Cow Disease

Last week, I discussed the One Health Concept, which suggests that the health of humans, livestock, wildlife, and environment are all interconnected. Our food production systems are an important component linking humans, livestock, wildlife, and the environment, and I explained some ways that human food production systems influence pathogen emergence. Today, I’m going to briefly expand on this idea and encourage you to become as informed as possible about how the food that you consume is created, processed, and prepared.

There are MANY humans on the planet. It would be unrealistic to expect that feeding that many people can be accomplished without unintended consequences, such as disease outbreaks and environmental alteration. However, it would be unethical for humans to ignore these negative consequences when they occur. It would also be self-destructive in the long term, because as the One Health Concept explains, human health cannot flourish unless we make sure that our livestock, wildlife, and ecosystems are also flourishing. Therefore, when these problems arise, we should turn to scientists and social scientists for innovations in the ways that we create, process, and prepare our food.

Here’s an example. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a disease that occurs in cattle around the world. BSE is caused by prions, which are misfolded proteins that cause deterioration of neurological tissues (i.e., the brain). These prions aren’t destroyed by high temperatures, so consumption of infected tissues – even after cooking – can transmit the prions to new hosts. If humans consume the tissues, the disease is called new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. And if cows consume the tissues, the disease is called bovine spongiform encephalopathy – or, more commonly, mad cow disease.

You might be wondering why cows would ever eat infected cow brains. That seems like a pretty unlikely scenario, because cows are vegetarians. However, cattle farming operations used to include these tissues as meat and bone meal that went into cattle feed. When the transmission route for BSE was discovered, legislation was passed in many countries that prohibited using those high risk tissues as feed for cattle or as food for humans. Additionally, countries have adopted various testing strategies, which at minimum require the removal of any visibly sick animals from the food chain.

In hindsight, feeding cows to other cows on a huge scale seems like a bad idea – if not for ethical reasons, than for pathogen transmission reasons. But of course, you can also see how using those materials in the feed also represented a way to reduce waste products (really important for environmental health) and to cut costs associated with producing beef on such a massive scale. The important thing is that we address the problem to reduce the risks to animal, human, and environmental health. However, while some measures have been taken and BSE incidence is declining, others argue that some practices – such as feeding calves on cow blood as a milk substitute – continue to cause risks to animal and human health. But of course, with money and health on the line, controversy can explode when topics like this hit mainstream media.

So, what are some solutions? Well, that is very complicated and goes far beyond the realm of ecology and into the realm of socioeconomics. In other words, outside my realm of expertise. 😛 But that’s a total cop out, so here is my two cents worth: (1) Transparency in food production systems can reduce the mistrust that citizens feel when problems like this arise (there is no question that things like this will happen). (2) Citizens should be as informed as possible about how their food is grown/raised and processed. This will allow them to vote with their forks, and with many eyes on these complex systems, we will hopefully be more likely to nip problems like this in the bud.

And finally, a sad cartoon of a cow in a straight jacket:

Pond Ecologist Christmas Carols

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!

This year, I tried my hand at composing some Christmas carols for pond ecologists. (I suppose these will be on Volume 2 of Songs of the Pond Ecologist.) Feel free to suggest more in the comments!

1. Jingle Snails

2. Deck the Pond (“…fa la la la laa, la la la snails….”)

3. Trematodes Rock (“Trematodes, trematodes, trematodes rock….”)

4. Rudolph, the red-striped mollusk (“…had a very slimy trail….”)

5. Grandma got run over by a mollusk

7. You’re a mean one, Mr. Pinch (song about crayfish)

8. I’ll be slow for Christmas (“…you can collect me….”; song about snails)

I usually make cartoons digitally, but as a special Christmas gift to you, my dear audience, I’ve taken photos of some of my exquisitely crafted hand-drawn Christmas cards. Enjoy!

Myrmecophytic Plants and Their Ants

You can find ants and plants in almost every terrestrial habitat on the planet. Both groups can be incredibly abundant, so it isn’t surprising that ants and plants interact a lot. But some plants and ants have intimate symbiotic relationships that go far beyond the occasional interaction. Some of my favorite ecological stories involve these symbioses, and I’m going to post those stories in the coming weeks. But this week, I just want to introduce you to the system and let the insane photography skills of Alex Wild bring these organisms into your life.

Myrmecophytic plants: Who are they, and what do they provide their ant symbionts?

There are many genera of myrmecophytic plants, including flowers, shrubs, trees, and even ferns. These plants vary widely in the degree to which they invest in their ant symbionts. Below is a list of the structures that plants have evolved to provide their ants with resources, but not all ant-plants have all of these structures.

Domatia: Domatia are hollow structures that the ants can use for nests. Depending on the plant species, these domatia may be hollow stems or spines. For instance, check out this hollow thorn on an Acacia tree and the hollow base of this epiphytic plant. Both are homes for ants!

Extrafloral nectaries: Many plants provide nectar rewards in their flowers in order to attract pollinators. Ant-plants may also have extrafloral nectaries – structures that provide nectar but that are not associated with flowers. On ant-plants with domatia and active ant colonies, these extrafloral nectaries can feed resident ants. On ant-plants without domatia, these nectaries can attract ant visitors. Here are two gorgeous ants feeding at an extrafloral nectary.

Food Bodies: Ants can’t just survive on nectar; they need resources other than sugar, too. Some ant-plants have evolved to produce food bodies that contain proteins or lipids that ants can harvest for those vital nutrients. Here’s an ant harvesting one such food body.

Plant-ants: Who are they, and what do they provide their plants?

There are also many genera of ants that have symbiotic relationships with their plants. These ants can be facultative or obligate symbionts (meaning that they are only found living on plants), depending on the species. In the coming weeks, I’ll talk a lot more about the services that ants do (and do not) provide to plants, but here are the main points:

Defense: Plant-ants are feisty plant protectors! They can bite and sting herbivores or even throw the herbivores off the plant. Plant-ants will also attack competing plants. For instance, they will bite encroaching vines or inject neighboring plants with formic acid. (Yeah. For real. Look up Devil’s Garden.) Here are some ants getting rid of a vine, and some different ants hauling away an intruder ant.

Nutrients: When ants die and defecate, they fertilize their plants. (I bet you can imagine this one without a photo. Also, arboreal earthworms are a thing, and plants eat their poop, too. You’re welcome.)

Seed Dispersal: Some plants produce seeds with tasty exterior food bodies called elaiosomes. The ants collect these seeds and eat off the elaisomes, then put the seeds in their waste piles. During this process, the seeds are dispersed, and they’re also protected from predators while they’re in the ant nests.

Aren’t plant-ants and ant-plants cool?! You should check out Alex Wild’s website for more awesome photos. Stay tuned for more on plant-ant ecology next week!

Preparing for Disease Ecology Prelims

Here’s a little post for all you PhD students nearing your qualifying/comprehensive/preliminary exams.  If I were asked to study disease ecology for such an exam, this is what I would know:

Who are the most influential modern day disease ecologists (or parasite ecologists)?  You might start with my list of the most prolific parasite ecologists in the 21st century.

What is the disease triangle?

What were Koch’s Postulates?

What proportion of Earth’s species are parasites/pathogens?  What proportion of the total biomass in an ecosystem is parasite biomass?  I have some related posts: here and here.

Do parasites/pathogens regulate host populations?  Somehow, I think I I’ve only blogged about this once…

How do parasites affect food webs?  You might start here and here.

What are the differences between microparasites and macroparasites?  Here.

What are the differences between predators, parasites, and parasitoids?  Here.

Why are macroparasites aggregately distributed among hosts, and why does it matter?  Here and here and here.

What are the hypotheses regarding the evolution of virulence?  I haven’t blogged about that much, but there’s a bit here.

What are SIR models?  SI models?  SIS models?  SEIR models? Vector transmission models?  

What is R0?  What happens when R0 > 1 and when R0 < 1?  How can you reduce R0?  What is the critical proportion of susceptible individuals that needs to be vaccinated so that R0 < 1?  Somehow, I haven’t covered this in any detail.  But I have a cute cow cartoon about herd immunity.

What are density dependent and frequency dependent parasite transmission?  Here and here.

Are there invasion thresholds is disease systems? Link to PDF.

Is culling a viable strategy for disease management?  See previous two questions.

What role does contact heterogeneity play in disease transmission?  What are superspreaders?  What is a superreceiver? Here, here, and here.

Is disease risk related to biodiversity?  What is the dilution effect?  Amplification effect? Neutral effect?  Here and here, for starters.

What are the main types of pathogen transmission? E.g., direct vs. indirect, sexually transmitted, vectored, trophically transmitted, etc.

Explain the concept of parasite manipulation of host behavior.  Is it adaptive?  What are the consequences for communities/ecosystems?  Here and here, but there is waaay more material out there.

Do hosts and parasites coevolve?  Is there evidence of parasite-mediated selection?

What is parasite-mediated competition?  Does it happen in real systems?

Are there general laws in parasite ecology?  PDF link.

How are resistance and tolerance different? Here.

Did I miss anything?  Add in the comments or shoot me an email!

---