Mum. Nat. Mtts. Vict., VIII, 1934. 
ANTS FROM THE OTWAY RANGES. 
By John Clark, Entomologist, National Museum. 
(Plate IV) 
During January 1932 a short collecting trip was undertaken 
to the little frequented area near Beech Forest. Arrangements 
were greatly facilitated by Mr. MacRae, Forest Officer in charge 
of the district, to whose interest and enthusiasm much of our 
success was due. The camp was located in the heart of almost 
virgin forest on Turton’s Track, near Mt. Sabine (1812 ft.), 
where in all directions deep and almost inaccessible gullies 
abound, the great wealth of ferns and undergrowth rendering 
progress difficult and slow. 
The Otway Ranges consist of a deeply dissected plateau of 
Jurassic sandstones and mudstones between 1500 ft. and 1800 ft. 
above sea level. The average annual rainfall at Beech Forest 
exceeds 60 inches, but we were fortunate in having fine weather 
during our visit. The very wet climate is reflected in the fauna, 
Crustaceans being abundant, but most forms of Insect life 
scarce. Only two specimens of Peripatus were found. Carab 
beetles predominated over other forms and were more numerous 
in the damp gullies than on hill-tops. Ants were represented 
by fourteen species ; they were practically confined to the 
higher ground and most of them were taken in rotten logs ; 
no doubt other species exist, since only a very limited area was 
worked and no search was made for arboreal forms. On the 
return journey three days were spent at Gellibrand at the foot 
of the range where thirty species of ants were collected. Although 
less than twenty miles apart the two areas yielded totally 
different faunas, only four species of ants being common to both. 
Of those species taken near Mount Sabine ten are new, the 
remainder being found on the Dandenong Ranges. The 
Ponerinae predominate with five species, four of which are new. 
Myrmicinae were represented by two species, both of which are 
new ; Dolichoderinae by three, two being new ; Formicinae bv 
four species, three being new. 
The five genera of Ponerinae belong to an ancient and widely 
distributed fauna. All arc found in the mountainous areas of 
New Guinea, and, with the exception of Trapesiopelta, are also 
common to New r Zealand. Discothyrea is found also in America. 
Of the Myrmicinae, only tw’o species of Monomorium were found, 
but they were numerous in individuals, always occurring in 
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