RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1855-1870]. [Lepidoptera, sexual differences in colour]. CUL-DAR81.176-179. (John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed and edited by John van Wyhe 12.2025. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR80-86 contain material for Darwin's book Descent of man (1871).


176

Males

Females

Clisiocampa Castrensis

 

Straw colour

dull fulvous cheseux

C. Meustria

 

Rusty fox colour

paler

Trichiura Cratagi

 

pale ashy

brown

Odonestis Potataria

 

Reddish buff

Pale fawn

Lasiocampa Quercus

 

Chocolate with a buff border

Buff all over

Dendrolimus pini

 

brown

paler

Endromis Versicolora

 

Considerably darker than female

 

Hypogymnia Dispar

 

brown

white

Dasychira Pudibunda

 

Darker than female

 

Loecia coeusa

 

Front wings ochre colour

white

Cycnia Mendica

 

brown

white

176v

Males

Females

Eutheuconia Plantaginis

 

Very gaudy colours

not so bright and with more black

--- Russula

 

⸮yellow but more pretty colours.?

reddish

Oenistis Quadra

 

Xxx grey yellow white blue head; but the male much more diversified in colours. & more beautiful

bright yellow with blue spots

Here the Bombycina end; they are the most diurnal moths & have more diversified colour than other moths as far as I imperfectly know. The Noctuiera have no differences in

Geometria

 

brown & white

Reddish brown

(not finished)

 

 

177v

Stainton whether as insofar as when males more beautiful - [6 words illeg]

178

(Ch. 6)

X Means female more conspicuously marked & therefore hostile fact—

Males

Females

Gonepteryx Rhamni

 

Sulphur yellow

Pale greenish white

Colias Hyale

 

a green patch on under wing

without green patch

Leucopasia Luiapis

 

Euchloe Cardamines

 

with orange spot on front wing

Without orange spot

In the genus Pontia

 

Without black spots on upper wing

With black spots

Argynnis Paphia

 

Bright tawney

Paler tinged with greenish

Apatura Iris

 

With a bright purple gloss

Without a purple gloss and brown

Hipparchia Januira

 

x without larger tawney spots on front wings

with tawney spots

Hipparchia Teltonces

 

x With less tawney than female

With more tawney

 

178v

Male

Female

Oreina Ligea

 

Without white pupil to the black ocelli

X Oreina "Black eyes with white pupils in the limbs" [Westwood]

With white centers

So female more ocellated

Hanearis Lucuia

 

X with the ground paler & orange spots smaller than in the female

Ground black orange spots larger

Thecla Betulae?

 

Thecla Quercus

Westwoods Butterflies of Grt. Britain 1855 p. 75. (small edit).

with much more purple than in female

 

Thecla Pernii?

 

Thecla W. Album

 

The white mark like a W narrow

broader

Chrysophanus Chryseis?

 

Chrysophanus Chryseis dispar

 

Far brighter (Copper Butterflies)

under wings darker & spotted.

Chrysophanus  Virgaureae. Hippothöe

 

nearly the same differences as in dispar

 

- - - -  Virgaureae

 

brighter than female

 

Westwood, J. O. 1855. The butterflies of Great Britain, with their transformations delineated and described. London.


Return to homepage

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

File last updated 27 December, 2025