From William Buckler [after 8 June 1869]1
| Larvæ | W. Buckler bred in 1869 | ♂ | ♀ |
| 3 | Argynnis Euphrosyne2 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | Arge Galathea3 | 3 | |
| 6 | Thecla rubi4 | 3 | 2 |
| 1 | Thecla Quercus5 | 1 | |
| 1 | Hesperia sylvanus6 | 1 | |
| 28 | Acherontia atropos7 | 5 | 12 |
| 2 | Sphinx ligustri8 | 1 | |
| 2 | Chærocampæ elpenor9 | 1 | |
| 5 | Sesia myopæformis10 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Sesia cynipiformis11 | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | Hepialus hectus12 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | Hepialus humuli13 | 1 | |
| 3 | Zygæna trifolii14 | 1 | |
| 5 | Zygæna filipendulæ15 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | Lithosia rubricollis16 | 2 | |
| 3 | Arctia mendica17 | 3 | |
| 1 | Arctia lubricipedæ18 | 1 | |
| 4 | Arctia urticæ19 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Demas coryli20 | 5 | |
| 1 | Eriogaster lanestris21 | 1 | |
| 4 | Bombyx castrensis22 | 1 | |
| 25 | Bombyx trifolii23 | 7 | 6 |
| 1 | Odontopera bidentata24 | 1 | |
| 1 | Amphydasis prodromaria25 | 1 | |
| 1 | Boarmia Roboraria26 | 1 | |
| 1 | Dasydia obfuscata27 | 1 | |
| 1 | Hemythia thymiaria28 | 1 | |
| 1 | Acidalia incanaria29 | 1 | |
| 6 | Hybernia aurantiaria30 | 2 | 2 |
| 4 | Eupithecia consignata31 | 1 | |
| 1 | Eupithecia castigata32 | 1 | |
| 1 | Lobophora hexapterata33 | 1 | |
| 5 | Pelurga comitata34 | 1 | |
| 1 | Dicranura bifida35 | 1 | |
| 3 | Dicranura Vinula36 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | Ptilophora plumigera37 | 1 | |
| 1 | Notodonta dictæoides38 | 1 | |
| 1 | Cymatophora or39 | 1 | |
| 1 | Acronycta tridens40 | 1 | |
| 1 | Acronycta alni41 | 1 | |
| 1 | Acronycta Rumicis42 | 1 | |
| 1 | Hydræcia micacea43 | 1 | |
| 1 | Caradrina blanda44 | 1 | |
| 4 | Agrotis segetum45 | 1 | |
| 2 | Agrotis exclamationis46 | 1 | |
| 40 | Agrotis ripæ47 | 9 | 19 |
| 3 | Noctua plecta48 | 2 | |
| 1 | Noctua triangulum49 | 1 | |
| 1 | Noctua brunnea50 | 1 | |
| 112 | Noctua Dahlii51 | 51 | 48 |
| 1 | Taeniocampa gothica52 | 1 | |
| 1 | — — — instabilis53 | 1 | |
| 2 | Cerastis vaccinii54 | 1 | 1 |
| 8 | Xanthia Citrago55 | 3 | 2 |
| 14 | Xanthia cerago56 | 4 | 4 |
| 12 | Xanthia silago57 | 4 | 3 |
| 1 | Cosmia trapezina58 | 1 | |
| 4 | Epunda nigra59 | 1 | 1 |
| 4 | Cucullia Scrophulariæ60 | 1 | |
| 27 | Cucullia Lychnitis61 | 3 | 6 |
| 11 | Heliothis peltigera62 | 4 | 4 |
| 1 | Plusia chrysitis63 | 1 | |
| 1 | Plusia interrogationis64 | 1 | |
| 1 | Euclidia glyphica65 | 1 | |
| 4 | Pyralis glaucinalis66 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | Aglossa pinguinalis67 | 1 | |
| 18 | Scoparia muralis68 | 7 | 6 |
| 4 | Chilo Phragmitellus69 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Nephopteryx angustella70 | 2 | |
| 6 | Rhodophea formosella71 | 2 | |
| 1 | Carpocapsa pomonana72 | 1 | |
| 1 | Tortrix on Yellow rattle unnamed73 | 1 | |
| 1 | Crambus? unnamed74 | ||
| 50 | Yponomeuta vigintipunctella75 | 26 | 17 |
| 179 | 169 |
CD annotations
1.1 W.... 1869] ‘Of Emsworth Hants’ ink
Bottom of first column: ‘495’ pencil; ‘larvæ’ ink
End of table: ‘74 species counted’ ink, circled ink
End of table:
pencil
| ‘179 | |
| 168 | |
| 347 | 180’ |
Footnotes
The date is established by the relationship between this letter and the letter from H. W. Bates, 8 June 1869.
Argynnis euphrosyne is now Boloria euphrosyne, the pearl-bordered fritillary.
Arge galathea is now Melanargia galathea, the marbled white.
Thecla rubi is now Callophrys rubi, the green hairstreak.
Thecla quercus is now Favonius quercus, the purple hairstreak.
Hesperia sylvanus is now Ochlodes sylvanus, the large skipper.
Acherontia atropos is the death’s-head hawk-moth.
Sphinx ligustri is the privet hawk-moth.
Chaerocampa elpenor is now Deilephila elpenor, the large elephant hawk-moth.
Sesia myopaeformis is now Synanthedon myopaeformis, the red-belted clearwing.
Sesia cynipiformis is now Synanthedon vespiformis, the yellow-legged clearwing.
Hepialus hecta is now Phymatopus hecta, the gold swift moth.
Hepialus humuli is the ghost moth.
Zygaena trifolii is the five-spot burnet.
Zygaena filipendulae is the six-spot burnet.
Lithosia rubricollis is now Atolmis rubricollis, the red-necked footman.
Arctia mendica, the muslin moth, is now Diaphora mendica.
Arctia lubricipeda, the white ermine, is now Spilosoma lutea.
Arctia urticae is now Spilosoma urticae, the water ermine.
Demas coryli is now Colocasia coryli, the nut-tree tussock.
Eriogaster lanestris is the small eggar.
Bombyx castrensis is now Malacosoma castrensis, the ground lackey.
Bombyx trifolii is now Lasiocampa trifolii, the grass eggar.
Odontopera bidentata is the scalloped hazel.
Amphidasis prodromaria is now Biston strataria, the oak beauty.
Boarmia roboraria is now Hypomecis roboraria, the great oak beauty.
Dasydia obfuscata is now Gnophos obfuscata, the Scotch annulet.
Hemithia thymiaria (‘Hemythia’ is a misspelling) is now Hemithea aestivaria, the common emerald.
Acidalia incanaria is now Idaea dilutaria, the silky wave.
Hybernia aurantiaria is now Agriopis aurantiaria, the scarce umber.
Eupithecia consignata is now E. insigniata, the pinion-spotted pug.
Eupithecia castigata is now E. subfuscata, the gray pug.
Lobophora hexapterata is now L. halterata, the seraphim.
Pelurga comitata is the dark spinach.
Dicranura bifida is now Furcula bifida, the poplar kitten.
Dicranura vinula is now Cerura vinula, the puss moth.
Ptilophora plumigera is the plumed prominent.
Notodonta dictaeoides is now Pheosia gnoma, the lesser swallow prominent.
Cymatophora or is now Tethea or, the poplar lutestring.
Acronicta tridens is the dark dagger.
Acronicta alni is the alder moth.
Acronicta rumicis is the knot grass.
Hydraecia micacea is the rosy rustic.
Caradrina blanda is now Hoplodrina blanda, the rustic.
Agrotis segetum is the turnip moth.
Agrotis exclamationis is the heart and dart.
Agrotis ripae is the sand dart.
Noctua plecta is now Ochropleura plecta, the flame shoulder.
Noctua triangulum is now Xestia triangulum, the double square spot.
Noctua brunnea is now Diarsia brunnea, the purple clay.
Noctua dahlii is now Diarsia dahlii, the barred chestnut.
Taeniocampa gothica is now Orthosia gothica, the Hebrew character.
Taeniocampa instabilis is now Orthosia incerta, the clouded drab.
Cerastis vaccinii is now Conistra vaccinii, the chestnut.
Xanthia citrago is the orange sallow.
Xanthia cerago is now X. aurago, the barred sallow.
Xanthia silago is now X. togata, the pink-barred sallow.
Cosmia trapezina is the dun-bar.
Epunda nigra is now Aporophyla nigra, the black rustic.
Cucullia scrophulariae is the water betony.
Cucullia lychnitis is the striped lychnis.
Heliothis peltigera is the bordered straw.
Plusia chrysitis is now Diachrysia chrysitis, the burnished brass.
Plusia interrogationis is now Syngrapha interrogationis the scarce silver Y.
Euclidia glyphica is the burnet companion.
Pyralis glaucinalis is now Paracolax tristalis, the clay fan-foot.
Aglossa pinguinalis is the large tabby.
Scoparia muralis is now Eudonia murana, the Scotch gray.
Chilo phragmitellus is now C. phragmitella.
Nephopteryx angustella is now Nephopterix angustella.
Rhodophaea formosa (‘formosella’ is a misspelling) is the beautiful knot-horn.
Carpocapsa pomonana is now Cydia pomonella, the codling moth.
Yellow rattle is Rhinanthus minor; larvae of Endothenia marginana, a moth of the family Tortricidae (tortrix moths) are known to feed on the seedheads of yellow rattle.
Buckler later described twenty-two species of Crambus (family Pyralidae) in The larvae of the British butterflies and moths (Buckler 1886–1901, 9: 284–318).
Buckler evidently refers to a species of small ermine moth, Yponomeuta vigintipunctata.
Bibliography
Buckler, William. 1886–1901. The larvae of the British butterflies and moths. 9 vols. London: Ray Society.
Summary
List giving the numbers of Lepidoptera of different species reared in 1869 and the proportions of the sexes [see Descent 1: 313].
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-6766
- From
- William Buckler
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- Emsworth
- Source of text
- DAR 85: B127
- Physical description
- Amem 1p †
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 6766,” accessed on 18 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-6766.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 17
letter
