Discussion
The objective of this study was to experimentally disentangle the role
of warming temperatures in Spring from the emergence of susceptible
hosts on the timing of seasonal parasite outbreaks. Using a range of
constant temperatures and availability of susceptible hosts, we found
that temperature influenced both host and parasite development, but
that–consistent with our main hypothesis–parasite development was
more strongly limited by low temperatures than host development.
Variation in host susceptibility modifies this pattern, with more
susceptible clones becoming infected faster than more resistant ones and
with hatchlings borne from ephippia less likely to become infected then
those produced asexually.