The students studied the behaviors of the anthophilous insects found in the field.

 

"While about 30 families of beetles contain at least a few examples of flower visitors, the main anthophilous groups today — those that are of real importance as flower pollinators — are soldier beetles (Cantharidae) and longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae)." — From Pat Willmer’s Pollination and Floral Ecology, 2011

Parrots love eucalyptus flowers. That's because anthophilous birds are naturally attracted to "ornithophilous" flowers — which is to say, flowers that are pollinated by birds. The "-philous" in both of those terms is the combining form that means "loving" (from Greek "-philos"). "Anthophilous" uses the Greek word "anthos," meaning "flower," while "ornithophilous" traces back to Greek "ornis," meaning "bird." "Ornithophilous" is one of a whole swarm of specialized words that identify flowers in terms of the flower-loving creatures that pollinate them. "Entomophilous" flowers, for example, are pollinated by anthophilous insects, such as bees. There's even a word specifically for plants that are pollinated by bees: "melittophilous" (from the Greek word "melitta," meaning "bee").

 

Word Family Quiz: What relative of "anthophilous" means "of, relating to, or having a strong affinity for water"? The answer is …