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The Royal Society: Science in the Making

Paper, 'The essential nature of the colouring of phytophagous larvae (and their pupae); with an account of some experiments upon the relation between the colour of such larvae and that of their food-plants' by Edward B [Bagnall] Poulton

Reference number: PP/6/29

Date: 1885

Description

Poulton writes: 'Phytophagous larvae owe their colour and markings to two causes: (1) Pigments derived from their food-plants, chlorophyll and xanthophyll, and probably others; (2) pigments proper to the larvae, or larval tissues made use of because of some (merely incidental) aid which they lend to the colouring, e. g., fat. A larva may be coloured by either or both of these groups of factors. It may be generally stated that all green colouration without exception, as far as I have investigated the subject, is due to chlorophyll; while nearly all yellows are due to xanthophyll. All other colours (including black and white) and some yellows, especially those with an orange tinge, are due to the second class of causes (as far as I am aw are: it is, however, extremely probable that certain colours will be proved to arise from the modification of the derived pigments; and many observations make it probable that other colours may be derived from plants in the case of larvae feeding upon the petals, &c.).'

Annotations in pencil and ink throughout. Includes printed proof.

Subject: Biology / Chemistry / Entomology

Received 11 April 1885. Read 23 April 1885. Communicated by John Scott Burdon-Sanderson.

A version of this paper was published in volume 38 of the Proceedings of the Royal Society as 'The essential nature of the colouring of phytophagous larvæ (and their pupæ); with an account of some experiments upon the relation between the colour of such larvæ and that of their food-plants'.

Reference number
PP/6/29
Earliest possible date
1885
Physical description
Ink and graphite pencil on paper
Page extent
74 pages
Format
Manuscript
Printed

Creator name

Edward Bagnall Poulton

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Citation

Edward Bagnall Poulton, Paper, 'The essential nature of the colouring of phytophagous larvae (and their pupae); with an account of some experiments upon the relation between the colour of such larvae and that of their food-plants' by Edward B [Bagnall] Poulton, 1885, PP/6/29, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/pp_6_29/paper-the-essential-nature-of-the-colouring-of-phytophagous-larvae-and-their-pupae-with-an-account-of-some-experiments-upon-the-relation-between-the-colour-of-such-larvae-and-that-of-their-food-plants-by-edward-b-bagnall-poulton, accessed on 19 September 2024

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https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/pp_6_29/paper-the-essential-nature-of-the-colouring-of-phytophagous-larvae-and-their-pupae-with-an-account-of-some-experiments-upon-the-relation-between-the-colour-of-such-larvae-and-that-of-their-food-plants-by-edward-b-bagnall-poulton

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  • Proceedings Papers

    Dates: 1882 - 1894

    The archival collection known as 'Proceedings Papers' is comprised of manuscripts and occasional proofs of scientific papers sent to the Royal Society which were read before meetings of Fellows and printed in full in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.

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