Notes on Amycterides. 26'^ 



rich in species in all. Acaittlioloplnta also is generally disl riliuteil. 

 but is undergoing development along separate lines in tlic East and 

 in the West. A second type of distribution is exemplified by the 

 genus Fsalicluro ; this has its headquarters, oi' zoocentre. in the 

 Main Dividing Ivange of Northern X.S.Wales, spi'eading thence 

 along the Avhole eastern motmtain system and down tlic wu'steiii 

 slopes. Scleroriiius is an example of a thiid type, radiating from 

 a, zoocentre in the neighbourhood of the Jiead of Spciuer (ridf. in 

 South Australia. A western distribution with its head(Hiaitcis in 

 the south-west of West Australia probably also exists, tlie <lisliil)n- 

 tion of the " Euomides " suggests this; while the genus Xofnimpht's 

 suggests the existence of a noi'th-western type. 



In turning now to Victoria, it will ])e seen that its geographical 

 position is between the zoocentres of the second and tliird types of 

 ■distribution outlined above, t'onsequently we would expect to find 

 the predominant species in eastern Victoria closely allied to Xew 

 South Wales species, and in western Victoria to South Australian 

 species. Unforttinately, as yet, too little detail is known about the 

 habitats and range of many of the Victorian species, to enable an 

 ■exact determination of their distribution; in the main, howevci-. 

 the species are distributed as above indicated. 



Many regions of Victoria, however, appeal- to have been almost 

 completely neglected from an entomological point of view. This 

 is the more to be deplored, since with the advent of settlement, the 

 breeding grounds are being destroyed, and the extinction of many 

 local forms is not beyond the bounds of possibility. 



The distribution of the Amycierides in Victoria may perhaps be 

 best approached by a discussion of the distrilnition of the different 

 genera. 



PsALiDURA. — Of the 11 groups iitto which this genus has lieen 

 subdivided, but three are known to occur in Victoria. 



P. approximata has been recorded from Mt. Buffalo ; it is tlie 

 most southerly representative of the horned-jaw gioup (mira- 

 group), which extends northward as far as Southei-n (.Queensland. 

 It is of interest as being more closely allied to /-'. tniracula, which 

 occurs in the Blue Mountains in N.S.Wales than to I', carterl (Mt. 

 Kosciusko), or P. mira (var. Edenensh: Eden). 



P. flavosetosa is a species belonging to the candata-group, and 

 appears to have entered Victoria from the west. The candata- 

 group consists, as at present known, of but three species, but these 

 are spread over an immense extent of counti-y. fi-om Centi-al 



