22 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society Vol. XIII 
them. I have seen no long-winged specimens of the male. The 
macropterous females differ from short-winged specimens only 
in the possession of fully developed organs of flight, which, how- 
ever, serves to give the insect an appearance of being larger and 
more bulky than its brachypterous relatives. The wings are of 
equal length with the elytra, which are rounded apically and ex- 
tend far beyond the tip of the abdomen, but does not attain to the 
tip of the ovipositor. The elytra of the Texas specimen measure 
50 mm., those of the Virginia individual a couple of mm. less. 
PAPILIO THOAS FEEDING ON RUTA GRAVEOLENS. 
By GerorcE P. ENGELHARDT, Museum, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
On October 21, while in the Old Fashioned Flower Garden, 
Prospect Park, Brooklyn, N. Y., my attention was drawn to the 
succulent growth of an herb with deeply cut, blue-green leaves 
and a number of upstanding stalks which plainly bore evidence 
of recent defoliation. Upon examination three larve of Papilio 
thoas in various stages of growth and one small larva of Papilio 
polyxenus were found. Injury to the plant further showed that 
it had given support to a much larger number of larve. 
With only a limited knowledge of botany the determination of 
the herb no doubt would have given me considerable difficulty, 
but taking a cue from the known food plants of P. thoas (Citrus, 
prickly pear, hop tree, all members of the Rutacez or Rue family), 
the matter really proved very simple. It is Ruta graveolens, a 
strong-scented, acrid herb, indigenous to the Old World, where 
it was well known for medicinal properties to the ancients and in 
medizval times was in common use as a witch’s drug. 
Wherever procurable Ruta graveolens should prove an excel- 
lent substitute for the native foodplants of P. thoas, because of 
its rank growth and hardiness when placed in a breeding jar. 
