''Abantis'' is an

Afrotropical The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

genus of skipper butterflies. They are also known as the paradise skippers. Their

imago In biology, the imago (Latin for "image") is the last stage an insect attains during its metamorphosis, its process of growth and development; it is also called the imaginal stage, the stage in which the insect attains maturity. It follows the fi ...

s 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.

Species

*''

Abantis adelica ''Abantis adelica'', the western ragged skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ghana, Togo, northern Nigeria, north-western Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( Shaba), Malawi and ...

'' (Karsch, 1892) *''

Abantis amneris ''Leucochitonea amneris'' is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Tanzania, from Mount Kilimanjaro to Njombe and Tabora Tabora is the capital of Tanzania's Tabora Region and is classified as a municipality by the Tanzanian gove ...

'' (Rebel & Rogenhofer, 1894) *''

Abantis arctomarginata ''Abantis arctomarginata'', the tricoloured paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Tanzania (from the south-central part of the country to Iringa) and Malawi. The larvae feed on ''Uapaca kirkiana ''Uapaca k ...

'' Lathy, 1901 *''

Abantis bamptoni ''Abantis bamptoni'', Bampton's paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, western Tanzania, northern Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (from Shaba to Mpala). The habitat ...

'' Collins & Larsen, 1994 *''

Abantis bicolor ''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 ...

'' (Trimen, 1864) *''

Abantis bismarcki ''Abantis bismarcki'', Bismarck's paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, northern Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Sudan, Uganda and wes ...

'' Karsch, 1892 *''

Abantis canopus ''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 seve ...

'' (Trimen, 1864) *''

Abantis cassualalla ''Abantis cassualalla'', the Kavango skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Angola and northern Namibia. The habitat consists of very dry savanna. Adults feed from the flowers of trees in spring. They are on ...

'' (Bethune-Baker, 1911) *''

Abantis contigua ''Abantis contigua'', the contiguous paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, western Kenya and Zambia Zambia () ...

'' Evans, 1937 *''

Abantis efulensis ''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 (from the south-west to the Kigezi District). References

Butterflies d ...

'' Holland, 1896 *''

Abantis elegantula ''Abantis elegantula'', the elegant paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Rep ...

'' (Mabille, 1890) *''

Abantis eltringhami ''Abantis eltringhami'' is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a ...

'' Jordan, 1932 *''

Abantis hindei ''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 seve ...

'' (Druce, 1903) *''

Abantis ja ''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 Afric ...

'' Druce, 1909 *''

Abantis leucogaster ''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 ...

'' (Mabille, 1890) *''

Abantis levubu ''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 seve ...

'' (Wallengren, 1857) *''

Abantis lucretia ''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 ...

'' Druce, 1909 *''

Abantis meneliki ''Abantis meneliki'' is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a sepa ...

'' Berger, 1979 *''

Abantis meru ''Abantis meru'' is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital ...

'' Evans, 1947 *''

Abantis nigeriana ''Abantis nigeriana'', the Nigerian paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Senegal, the Gambia, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, southern Sudan and Gabon. The habitat consists of Guinea savanna Gu ...

'' Butler, 1901 *''

Abantis paradisea ''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&nb ...

'' (Butler, 1870) *''

Abantis pillaana ''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. The wingspan is 30–37 mm for males ...

'' (Wallengren, 1857) *''

Abantis pseudonigeriana ''Abantis pseudonigeriana'', the beige paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in eastern Senegal, Guinea, northern Sierra Leone, northern Ghana and Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjír ...

'' Usher, 1984 *''

Abantis rubra ''Abantis rubra'', the russet paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Nigeria (the Cross River loop), Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

'' Holland, 1920 *''

Abantis tanobia ''Abantis tanobia'', the Ghana paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in western Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Gu ...

'' Collins & Larsen, 2005 *''

Abantis tettensis ''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. The wingspan is 35–40 mm for males and ...

'' Hopffer, 1855 *''

Abantis venosa ''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. The wingspan is 36–41 mm for males and 35–45 mm ...

'' Trimen, 1889 *''

Abantis vidua ''Abantis vidua'' is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( Shaba) and north-western Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossr ...

'' Weymer, 1901 *''

Abantis zambesiaca ''Abantis zambesiaca'', the Zambezi paradise skipper, is a butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in western and southern Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo ( Shaba), Zambia, Malawi, Namibia ( Caprivi), Mozambique and Zimbabwe. ...

'' (Westwood, 1874)

References

External links

Seitz, A. ''Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde'' 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 76
Tagiadini Hesperiidae genera Taxa named by Carl Heinrich Hopffer {{Pyrginae-stub