From Francis Walker 26 February 1863
Summary
Identifies flies sent to him by CD. [CD note states that these were found with orchid pollinia adhering to them.]
| Author: | Francis Walker |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 26 Feb 1863 |
| Classmark: | DAR 181: 3 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-4014 |
From Francis Walker 24 June [1862]
Summary
Identified two flies as species of Empis that suck flowers, but the females also feed on small Diptera.
| Author: | Francis Walker |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 24 June [1862] |
| Classmark: | DAR 70: 182 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-10547 |
Matches: 2 hits
- … Orchids (see also Collected papers 2: 139). Diptera is the order that includes mosquitoes, gnats, midges, and true flies. …
- … fly. These species names were added to CD’s note in DAR 70: 13–14 on the observations of his sons William Erasmus Darwin and George Howard Darwin on the pollination of Orchis maculata (a synonym of Dactylorhiza maculata , the heath spotted orchid); …
From Francis Walker 1 February 1861
Summary
Identifies two dipterous species of parasites [chalcidites].
Was not able to attend to the aphids last year, but will make use of CD’s suggestions and "study as much as I can the inquiry as to species".
| Author: | Francis Walker |
| Addressee: | Charles Robert Darwin |
| Date: | 1 Feb 1861 |
| Classmark: | DAR 46.2 (ser. 3): 54–5 |
| Letter no: | DCP-LETT-3053 |
Matches: 1 hit
- … orchid pollination, and Walker named the Diptera (see Collected papers 2: 139). The Swedish entomologist Carl Frederik Fallén described Dolichopus nigripennis (a synonym of Hercostomus nigripennis in Fallén 1814–27 , 2: Dolichopodes, p. 15, and Empis chioptera in ibid . , 1: Empidiae, p. 24. CD was investigating the role of insects in the fertilisation of flowers. Tormentilla officinalis (see CD’s annotations, above) is a synonym of Potentilla erecta (erect cinquefoil), in which a ring-shaped nectary surrounded by stamens is commonly visited by flies. …
Document type
| letter | (3) |
Addressee
| Darwin, C. R. | (3) |
Correspondent
| Darwin, C. R. | (3) |
| Walker, Francis | (3) |
