From A. G. Butler 24 August 1875
British Museum
24th. August 1875
My dear Sir
The moth is rightly named (Ophideres Fallonica) it ranges from N. India to Australia, & is also found in the South Sea Islands.
It belongs to the Noctuites (Family Ophideridæ),1 its nearest European allies are the species of Catocala Red-underwing moths: C. nupta would be a good English species for comparison, being both large & common: The Catocalidæ however differ much in the form of the palpi from the Ophideridæ & therefore may differ as much also in the proboscis.2 If your son3 has examples of any of the European species of Catephidæ or Ophiusidæ4 I think there will be more similarity in mouth structure amongst them; unfortunately I am just about to take my holidays, or I would relax some of our genera & tell you the result at once; as I shall not be here after today, I shall not have time at present.
Of British species Catocala fraxini5 (a rare insect) seems most similar in structure to Ophideres, it is moreover of about the same size.
Believe me to be | yours very sincerely | Arthur G Butler
Ch. Darwin Esq F.R.S. | &c &c &c
Footnotes
Bibliography
Newman, Edward. 1841. A familiar introduction to the history of insects; being a new and greatly improved edition of the grammar of entomology. London: John Van Voorst.
Summary
"The moth is rightly named Ophideres Fullonica." Gives its range, family, allied European and British species, etc.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-10134
- From
- Arthur Gardiner Butler
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- British Museum
- Source of text
- DAR 99: 90–1
- Physical description
- ALS 3pp
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 10134,” accessed on 20 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-10134.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 23
