Born to be wild - don't forget the invertebrates

Parasitology research mostly aims to control parasites of humans and domesticated animals. Recently, many scientists have realized much can be learned by studying wildlife parasites. To this end, Trends in Parasitology published two special issues comprising some of the most interesting, topical science relating to wildlife parasitology [1]. The emphasis of the published articles was almost exclusively on parasites that use vertebrate animal hosts. Here, we argue that progress in parasitology could be accelerated if more parasitologists studied parasites that use invertebrates as definitive hosts.