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	1963	Journal of the Lepidopiexists Society	33
	ON THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION OF THE SO-CALLED SUBFAMILY PLATYCHASMATIN^ NAKAMURA, 1956 (NOTODONTID^) by Sergius G. Kiriakoff Nakamura described (1956: 143) a new subfamily of the Notodontidae which he called Platychasmatinae. His text was in Japanese, and I can unfortunately only make use of the English summary which runs as follows (spelling original): "Platychasmatinae nov. Involvs Japanese Platychasma and Indian Cyphanta, charcterized by the forewing with R2 from lower angle of cell". This statement is of course wrong because R2 obviously is a misprint for M2. Moreover, even if corrected, it does not explain the reason for the transfer of the noctuid genera Platy­chasma and Cyphanta to the Notodontidae, since the family Noctuidae has, among its basic characters, M2 in the forewing arising from the lower angle of the cell, while the family Notodontidae has that vein placed in the middle portion of the discocellulars, and sometimes even above the middle. Further, both Platychasma and Cyphanta have, in the hindwing, the characteristic basal loop or cell formed by anastomosis of 8 and the stalk of 6+7 shortly after the base, v/ith both veins sub­sequently diverging, while the Notodontidae have these veins approximated for some distance, usually almost to the end of cell. Still more important than the basic venational features are of course the tympanic structures, and the study thereof permits us to assign the genera involved with certainty to their true place, either in the family Noctuidae or in the family Notodontidae. Thanks to the kindness of D. S. Fletcher of the British Museum (Natural History), I have been able to dissect specimens of the typical species of both genera, viz. Platychasma virgo Eiutler and Cyphanta xanthochlora Walker. The results of the dissection are shown in figs. 1 and 2, so that a short comment is sufficient. Both structures are unquestionably of the noctuid type, with an oblique tympanum, without the "kettledrum" of the Notodontidae and with the broad pocket-bearing frame. P. virgo (fig. 1) is peculiar in the large, double pocket I, whereas pocket IV is large but shallow. But for the much larger pocket I, it is rather similar to Plusio-donta (group 2 of the Erebine-Catocaline complex of Richards, 1933: 17). However, its relatively narrow scutal phragma reminds one of that

	34	Ktoiakoff: Platychasmatinse	Vol.17: no.l
	Fig. 1. Platychasma virgo, tympanic structures. Fig. 2. Cyphanta xanthochlora, tympanic structures. See discussion in text.
	of the Herminiinae and Hypeninae of Richards. Since, however, the scutal phragma varies a great deal in individual genera, the best place for Platychasma seems to be in the vicinity of Plusiodonta. Cyphanta xanthochlora (fig. 2) has all four pockets moderately de­veloped, but well formed, and is on the whole similar to the "First group" of the subfamily Erastriinse of Richards (/. c.\ 23 ff.) which, as that writer points out, differs but slightly from the "Trifid subfamilies". The latter are, however, mostly characterized by a relatively large counter-tympanum. In C. xanthochlora that structure is about of the size of the true tympanum, so that this genus should probably be placed with the subfamily Acronictinae, where as a matter of fact it has been placed in the British Museum (Natural History). Cyphanta has, like Platychasma, a relatively narrow scutal phragma. Both genera are most definitely noctuids, and the subfamily Platy-chasmatinae should accordingly be suppressed. The above instance shows once more the importance of the tympanic structures for the classification of the Lepidoptera. References Nakamura, M., 1956. Contribution to the knowledge of some Japanese notodontid moths. Revisional Notes X. Tinea 3: 142-143. Richards, A. G., Jr., 1933. Comparative skeletal morphology of the noctuid tympanum. Ent. Americana (n.s.) 13: 1-84. Institute of Zoology, University of Ghent, BELGIUM