Phylogeny and systematics of the Acrapex apicestriata(Bethune-Baker, 1911) species complex (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Apameini, Sesamiina) with the description of eight new species from the Afrotropics

SummaryTwelve morphologically similar species of AcrapexHampson 1894, (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Apameini, Sesamiina), from Western, Central and Eastern Africa are reviewed. Eight of these species are new to science and are described: Acrapex akunamatatan. sp. and A. incrassatan. sp. from Kenya; A. gracilisn. sp., A. iringan. sp., A. lukumburan. sp. and A. rungwen. sp. from Tanzania; A. soyeman. sp. from Ethiopia; and A. zoutoin. sp. from Benin. All 12 species belong to a species complex that we hereby define as the Acrapex apicestriatagroup. Host-plants for three of the new species are recorded: Setaria incrassata(Hochst.) Hack. for Acrapex incrassata; Cymbopogon pospishilii(K. Schum.) C.E. Hubb. for A. rungwe; and Andropogon perligulatusStapf. for A. zoutoi. We also conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses (using maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference) on a six gene multimarker molecular dataset (four mitochondrial and two nuclear gene fragments; 4581 nucleotides in length) consisting of 15 Acrapexspecies (including seven species from the apicestriata group) and four outgroups species from the subtribe Sesamiina (from genera Busseola Thurau 1904, SciomesaTams & Bowden 1953, PirateoleaMoyal, Le Ru, Conlong, Cugala, Defabachew, Matama-Kauma, Pallangyo & Van den Berg 2010 and SesamiaBoisduval & Guenée 1852). Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses yield a similar and well-supported topology, which supports the monophyly of the apicestriatagroup.