Phylogeny and systematics of the Sesamia coniotaHampson species group (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Apameini: Sesamiina), with the description of three new species from the Afrotropical region

SummaryIn this study, we review six morphologically similar species of SesamiaGuenée, 1852 from Africa, including three new species that are described: Sesamia corymbosusLe Ru n. sp., S. schoenoplectusLe Ru n. sp. and S. tembermaLe Ru n. sp. These six species belong to a species complex that we hereby define as the Sesamia coniotagroup. Host plants of four species are recorded: Schoenoplectus corymbosus(Roth ex Roem. & Schult.) J. Raynal. for S. corymbosusand S. schoenoplectus, Echinochloa pyramidalis(Lam.) Hitschc. & Chase, Eriochloa meyeriana(Nees) Pilg., Schoenoplectus corymbosusand Typha latifoliaL. for S. jansei, Tams & Bowden, 1953 and Pennisetumsp. for S. temberma. We also conduct molecular phylogenetic analyses on a multimarker (four mitochondrial and two nuclear genes) molecular dataset encompassing 36 specimens (including 32 specimens belonging to the S. coniotagroup). Molecular analyses allow assessing the phylogenetic relationships of five out of six species of the group.