acarophilousadj.
/ˌakəˈrɒfᵻləs/, U.S. /ˌækəˈrɑfələs/ Chiefly Botany.
That lives in or is adapted for a symbiotic relationship with mites; spec. (of a plant) pollinated by mites. Also: relating to or associated with such a relationship.
ΚΠ
1896 Nature 27 Aug. 403 Plants which Lundström and others describe with more or less accuracy as acarophilous.
1919 Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 39 99 This species [of wasp]..is very interesting as a new illustration of the strongly marked acarophilous structures.
1998 P. Jolivet Interrelationship Insects & Plants vii. 137 Acarophilous plants can be found in temperate and tropical climates.
Derivatives
ˌacaˈrophily n. [ < scientific Latin Acarus acarus n. + -o- connective + -phily comb. form, after acarophilous adj.] rare the condition or fact of being acarophilous.
ΘΚΠ
the world > plants > part of plant > reproductive part(s) > flower or part containing reproductive organs > flower or flowering plant > [noun] > pollination > involving particular type of agency
anemophily1879
acarophily1898
ornithophily1903
zoophily1904
hydrophily1920
zoochory1921
1898 Nature 3 Nov. 15/1 A number of cases of acarophily among ferns.
1996 tr. P. Jolivet Ants & Plants 202 The structural analogy between acarophily and myrmecophily.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1896