Abantis paradisea | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Hesperiidae |
Genus: | Abantis |
Species: | A. paradisea |
Binomial name | |
Abantis paradisea | |
Synonyms | |
|
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 .
Bridelia is a plant genus of the family Phyllanthaceae first described as a genus in 1806. It is widespread across Africa, Australia, southern Asia, and various islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Ornithoptera paradisea, the paradise birdwing, is a species of birdwing butterfly found in New Guinea.
Abantis is an Afrotropical genus of skipper butterflies. They are also known as the paradise skippers. Their imagos are generally attractive with bold or colourful wing and/or body markings. They occur in either forest or savanna, and several species are very localized or thinly distributed. The territorial males are encountered more often than the females. Males engage territorial intruders, and are prone to very rapid and high flight, while females display more relaxed flight habits, closer to the ground. Plants of several families serve as food plants, and only one egg is oviposited per plant. The larva is pale and spotted to varying degrees, and pupates inside a leaf shelter drawn together by silk threads.
Abantis pillaana, the ragged skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, from Mozambique to eastern Africa, Ethiopia and south-western Arabia.
Abantis tettensis, the spotted velvet skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South-West Africa, Botswana, Transvaal, northern Cape, from Zimbabwe to Zaire and in Kenya.
Abantis bicolor, the bicoloured skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae and the subfamily Pyrginae. Described in 1864 and endemic to South Africa, the bicoloured skipper is restricted to lowland forests from the Eastern Cape to the southern and northern coasts of KwaZulu-Natal.
Abantis venosa, the veined skipper or veined paradise skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Zululand, Eswatini, Transvaal, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda.
Parosmodes morantii, the Morant's skipper or Morant's orange, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe and from western Kenya to Ghana.
Charaxes castor, the giant emperor or giant charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found throughout the Afrotropical realm below the Sahel.
Bridelia micrantha, the mitzeeri or the coastal golden-leaf, is a tree in the family Phyllanthaceae and is native to tropical and southern Africa as well as to the island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
Abantis efulensis is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Abantis ja, the Djah paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. The species was first described by Hamilton Herbert Druce in 1909. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. The habitat consists of forests.
Abantis leucogaster, the streaked paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Tanzania. The habitat consists of primary forests and well-developed secondary forests.
Abantis lucretia, or Lucretia's paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. The species was first described by Hamilton Herbert Druce in 1909. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia and Uganda. The habitat consists of forests.
Abantis meneliki is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Somalia and Djibouti.
Abantis meru is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Kenya, where it is only known from the highlands east of the Rift Valley. It is part of the taxonomic subspecies of hesperiidae.
Abantis rubra, the russet paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The habitat consists of forests.