To Entomologist’s Weekly Intelligencer1 [20 June 1860]2
I once saw several individuals of a small moth apparently eating the pollen of the Mercurialis; is this physically possible? I have during several years watched the smaller clovers, such as Trifolium procumbens, and the Vicia hirsuta which has such extremely minute flowers, and I never saw a bee visit them. I am, however, aware from experience that it is very difficult to assert that bees do not visit any particular kind of plant. As Mr. F. Bond informs me that he has often seen moths visiting papilionaceous flowers,3 even such small ones as those of the trefoil, it has occurred to me that small moths may suck the flowers of T. procumbens and of V. hirsuta. From analogy we must believe that the smaller clovers secrete nectar; and it does not seem probable that the nectar would be wasted. I should esteem it a great favour if any Lepidopterists would communicate their experience on this point.—4
Charles Darwin,
Down, Bromley, Kent.
Footnotes
Summary
Is it physically possible for moths to eat the pollen of Mercurialis? Believes moths may visit the smaller clovers to suck the nectar.
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-2848
- From
- Charles Robert Darwin
- To
- Entomologist’s Weekly Intelligencer
- Sent from
- Down
- Source of text
- Entomologist’s Weekly Intelligencer, 30 June 1860, p. 103
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2848,” accessed on 24 April 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-2848.xml
Also published in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, vol. 8