Empirical database
Nine studies from empirical communities of parasite-host associations (Table 1) were used for comparative purposes. Selection criteria was that, in addition to information on species interaction, these communities essentially needed to have published phylogenies for hosts and parasites (see the details in supplemental information II). We separated these communities according to the parasitism type and spatial scale (Table 1 - Fig. S5-S13). For all empirical studies selected, parasite groups are monoxenic (both ecto-endoparasites), with simple life cycles that encompasses a single host species. All ectoparasites analysed herein can be transmitted during the larval and adult stages while endoparasites can be transmitted only during the larval stage. Hence, ectoparasites are likely more prone to explore and colonize new hosts (Boeger et al. 2005; Malcicka et al. 2015). A total of 50 runs were performed with 250 individuals of carrying capacity, for each configuration of the parameters of host-switching intensity.