Anthecology

[2] The major flower-frequenting insect taxa include beetles, flies, wasps, bees, ants, thrips, butterflies, and moths.

In the mid-to-late 18th century, Joseph Gottlieb Kölreuter demonstrated that pollen must be transferred from stamen to stigma for reproduction to occur, and also clarified the distinction between nectar and honey.

[1]: 9–14 In the late 18th century, Christian Konrad Sprengel showed evidence that flowers attract insects and reward them with nectar.

Following the emergence of the Darwinian theory of evolution in the late 19th century, scientists became keen to the selective advantage of cross-pollination.

Anthecology went into decline for several decades, but the field was kept alive by several studies including those of honey bees by Karl von Frisch in the mid 20th century.