Abantis paradisea

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Paradise skipper
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Abantis
Species:
A. paradisea
Binomial name
Abantis paradisea
(Butler, 1870)[1]
Synonyms
  • Leucochitonea paradisea Butler, 1870
  • Hesperia [Oxynetra] namaquana Westwood, 1874

Abantis paradisea, the paradise skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in KwaZulu-Natal, Zululand, Transvaal, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and from Botswana to Somalia.

The wingspan is 40–45 mm for males and 43–55 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks in autumn from April to June and in spring from August to November.[2]

The larvae feed on Hibiscus tiliaceus, Cola natalensis, Annona species, Bridelia cathartica, Bridelia micrantha, Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia, Lonchocarpus capassa and Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Abantis at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. ^ Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.