Evolution of predator foraging in response to prey infection favors species coexistence

Prey infection effects drive predator specialization and coexistence, with facilitation effects increasing niche overlap and virulence effects promoting predator-parasite separation.

• Why it matters: Understanding how prey parasites influence predator diets and species coexistence addresses gaps in food web ecology and parasite-host dynamics, which are crucial for ecosystem stability.
• What they did: The study modeled a food web with one predator and two prey species, one infected by a parasite, analyzing how virulence and facilitation effects on prey influence predator foraging strategies and coexistence.
• The result: Virulence effects promote predator specialization on uninfected prey and coexistence with parasites, while facilitation effects increase niche overlap, often leading to parasite loss, highlighting the importance of infection effects in food web stability.