December, 1952 THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST 
Twenty-five 
bola, etc., in winter, but practically 
only a very few ants on the lower 
levels in the summer. The cock- 
roach Zonioploca alutacea has 
been taken in this formation from 
over 3,500 feet. The Casuarina 
mirid bug and lerp are also present. 
Intrusions , Creek Beds , etc. In 
any of the above formations one is 
liable to find small inliers of dif- 
ferent formations on some local 
variation in soil or rainfall; mulga 
communities on sand are common 
in the Sowdenian and the Southern 
derived inlier of Gums and Callitris 
near and in Wi pena Pound 
amongst the Cassia , Dodonaea , 
Eremophila Zone of wood has al- 
ready been mentioned. 
However, the most conspicuous 
perhaps, the most agreeable and 
the richest environment falls into 
this class, that of the large creek 
bed. At its southern limit in the 
arid and semiarid communities 
some mallees may be present, as 
near Carriewerloo; at its northern 
extremity in this State around 
Lake Eyre we find Coolabahs 
(. Eucalyptus coolabah), but between 
these extremes are found the mag- 
nificent red gum creeks, such 
beautiful examples as may be seen 
on the beaten track in the Flinders 
Ranees like Moralana, Ilka, Wii- 
pena or some of the creeks near 
Wilmington are typical examples. 
The red gum is a veritable Mecca 
in these parts for all sorts of insects, 
(e.g. leal insects, cicadas, braconid 
wasps, beetles, bugs, false scorpions 
and ants), while the undersides of 
the stones in the creek with their 
moist undersides yield large quan- 
tities of insects. In the tussocks 
and sedges in the creek bed may 
occasionally be found an as yet un- 
identified Tingitid bug. 
Another important type of inlier 
is the salt pan, salina or large salt 
lake. These support only very few 
insects which forage on the surface 
for insects either blown out or de- 
ceived during the night into think- 
ing the salt to be water. Lake 
Gairdner supports an unnamed 
Cecindelid beetle and a Reduviid 
bu §- 
Excluding the tiny primitive 
wingless insects, it is possible that 
a given area of medium vegetated 
arid or semiarid country maintains 
a greater population of insects 
throughout the year than does a 
similar area of mallee or even 
sclerophyll and heathland. 
[This paper is an amplification 
of a lecture which the author gave 
before the Section on June 17, 
1952.— Ed.] 
Wild Flower and Nature Show 
On Friday and Saturday, 3rd 
and 1th of October, the Section 
held its Wild Flower and Nature 
Show, the theme of it being “Aus- 
tralian plants under cultivation.” 
Because of the early and continued 
enthusiasm displayed by members 
it was obvious that it would be a 
first-class Show and results showed 
this to be the case. The results 
astounded all, not only in the ex- 
cellence of the (lowers displayed 
or the variety of other exhibits 
and the remarkable sales obtained 
from the novelties and flower stall, 
but in the maintained attendances 
and the record number of new 
members obtained. The Section, 
therefore, can congratulate itself 
for not only providing a Show 
which the public enjoyed but be- 
cause the proceeds will actively 
