Insect taxonomy can be difficult: a noctuid moth (Agaristinae: ) and a geometrid moth (Sterrhinae: ) combined into a cryptic species complex in eastern Africa (Lepidoptera).

The systematic position of a large and strikingly coloured reddish-black moth, Herbulot, 2003 (Geometridae: Sterrhinae) from Tanzania, has remained questionable since its description. Here we present molecular and morphological evidence showing that only superficially resembles true Warren, 1894 (the relative name currently considered a junior synonym of Hübner, 1820), which are unpalatable diurnal moths superficially resembling butterflies, and that it is misplaced in the family Geometridae. We transfer it to Noctuidae: Agaristinae, and combine it with the genus Jordan, 1926, from Tanzania, as (Herbulot, 2003) . We revise the genus to contain three species, but find that it is a cryptic species complex that needs to be revised with more extensive taxon sampling. Our results demonstrate the difficulties in interpreting and classifying biological diversity. We discuss the problems in species delimitation and the potential drivers of evolution in eastern Africa that led to phenotypic similarity in unrelated lepidopteran lineages.