Heteroecious

Melampsora laricis-populina life cycle. (a) Biological macrocyclic heteroecious cycle of M. larici-populina. (b) Vegetative cycle occurring on poplar leaves and used as a model for molecular investigations of the poplar-poplar rust interaction. hpi=hours of postinoculation.

A heteroecious parasite is one that requires at least two hosts. The primary host is the host in which the parasite spends its adult life; the other is the secondary host. Both hosts are required for the parasite to complete its life cycle. This can be contrasted with an autoecious parasite which can complete its life cycle on a single host species. Many rust fungi have heteroecious life cycles:[1]

In parasitology, heteroxeny, or heteroxenous development, is a synonymous term that characterizes a parasite whose development involves several hosts.[2]

  1. ^ Schumann, G. & D'Arcy, C. (2010). Essential plant pathology. APS Press
  2. ^ Odening, Klaus (20 January 1976). "Conception and terminology of hosts in parasitology". In Dawes, Ben (ed.). Advances in Parasitology. Vol. 14. Academic Press. pp. 24–25. ISBN 978-0-08-058060-9. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2020.