Multiple host use and the dynamics of host switching in host–parasite systems

The link between multi‐host use and host switching in host–parasite interactions is a continuing area of debate. Lycaenid butterflies in the genus Maculinea , for example, exploit societies of different Myrmica ant species across their ranges, but there is only rare evidence that they simultaneously utilise multiple hosts at a local site, even where alternative hosts are present. We present a simple population‐genetic model accounting for the...