Abantis paradisea

This article is about the species known as paradise skipper. For the genus also known as paradise skippers, which this species is part of, see Abantis.

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.

Abantis paradisea
Abantis paradisea, South Africa
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Hesperiidae
Genus:	Abantis
Species:	A. paradisea
Binomial name
Abantis paradisea (Butler, 1870)[2]
Synonyms[3]
Leucochitonea paradisea Butler, 1870 Hesperia namaquana Westwood, 1874

The wingspan is 40–45 mm (1.6–1.8 in) for males and 43–55 mm (1.7–2.2 in) for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks in autumn from April to June and in spring from August to November.^[4]

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