noun
- a condition in which a parasitic organism completes its entire life cycle on a single host species
Usage: biology; parasitology; also spelled autoecious
Examples
- The rust fungus exhibits autoecism, requiring only one host plant to complete its development.
- In autoecism, the parasite does not need to alternate between different host species.
- Many plant pathogens demonstrate autoecism by infecting the same plant throughout their life cycle.
- Autoecism contrasts with heteroecism, where parasites require multiple host species.