Phylogeny and systematics of the <i>Sesamia coniota</i> Hampson species group (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Apameini: Sesamiina), with the description of three new species from the Afrotropical region

In this study, we review six morphologically similar species of <i>Sesamia</i> Guenée, 1852 from Africa, including three new species that are described: <i>Sesamia corymbosus</i> Le Ru <b>n. sp</b>., <i>S. schoenoplectus</i> Le Ru <b>n. sp</b>. and <i>S. temberma</i> Le Ru <b>n. sp</b>. These six species belong to a species complex that we hereby define as the <i>Sesamia coniota</i> group. Host plants of four species are recorded: <i>Schoenoplectus corymbosus</i> (Roth ex Roem. &amp; Schult.) J. Raynal. for <i>S. corymbosus</i> and <i>S. schoenoplectus, Echinochloa pyramidalis</i> (Lam.) Hitschc. &amp; Chase, <i>Eriochloa meyeriana</i> (Nees) Pilg., <i>Schoenoplectus corymbosus</i> and <i>Typha latifolia</i> L. for <i>S. jansei</i>, Tams &amp; Bowden, 1953 and <i>Pennisetum</i> sp. for <i>S. temberma</i>. 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 <i>S. coniota</i> group). Molecular analyses allow assessing the phylogenetic relationships of five out of six species of the group.