DNA Barcoding Reveals Generalization and Host Overlap in Hummingbird Flower Mites: Implications for the Mating Rendezvous Hypothesis.

AbstractHummingbird flower mites are assumed to monopolize single host plant species owing to sexual selection for unique mating rendezvous sites. We tested the main assumption of the mating rendezvous hypothesis-extreme host specialization-by reconstructing interactions among tropical hummingbird flower mites and their host plants using DNA barcoding and taxonomic identifications. We collected 10,654 mites from 489 flowers.