Autoecious life cycle

Definition

A parasite life cycle in which all developmental stages occur on a single host species, without requiring an alternate host to complete sexual or asexual reproduction. The term applies broadly to rust fungi, aphids, and certain parasitic insects and mites.

Etymology

From Greek autos (self) + oikos (house/home), indicating confinement to one host 'house.'

Example

The peach–potato aphid Myzus persicae can reproduce parthenogenetically on dozens of plant species, but populations that remain on peach (Prunus persica) year-round—producing egg-laying sexual forms in autumn—exhibit an autoecious life cycle on that single host.

Synonyms

• monoxenous life cycle

Related Terms

• Heteroecious life cycle
• host alternation
• monophagy
• obligate parasite
• Parthenogenesis
• holocyclic

Usage Notes

Autoecious contrasts with heteroecious, where different life stages require phylogenetically unrelated host taxa (e.g., wheat stem rust Puccinia graminis moving between Berberis and cereals). In aphidology, autoecious is sometimes used loosely for any single-host population, but strictly denotes retention of the sexual phase on that host; anholocyclic populations (perpetually parthenogenetic, no sexual stage) are not truly autoecious. The synonym monoxenous is preferred in some veterinary parasitology contexts.