Abantis paradisea
Encyclopedia
The Paradise Skipper is a butterfly
of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in KwaZulu-Natal
, Zululand
, Transvaal
, Swaziland
, 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.
The larvae feed on Hibiscus tiliaceus, Cola natalensis, Annona
species, Bridelia cathartica, Bridelia micrantha
, Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia
, Lonchocarpus caprassa and Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Hesperiidae family. It is found in KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, Zululand
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
, Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
, Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
and from Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
to Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
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.
The larvae feed on Hibiscus tiliaceus, Cola natalensis, Annona
Annona
Annona is a genus of flowering plants in the pawpaw/sugar apple family, Annonaceae. It is the second largest genus in the family after Guatteria, containing approximately 110 species of mostly neotropical and afrotropical trees and shrubs....
species, Bridelia cathartica, Bridelia micrantha
Bridelia micrantha
Bridelia micrantha, the Mitzeeri or the Coastal Golden-leaf, is a tree in the Phyllanthaceae family and is native to Africa.-Description:...
, Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia
Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia
Pseudolachnostylis maprouneifolia is a species of plant under the family Phyllanthaceae and the sole species comprised in the genus Pseudolachnostylis. It is native to Africa and has several varieties. Its common name is kudu berry, though the term also applies for Cassine aethiopica....
, Lonchocarpus caprassa and Lecaniodiscus fraxinifolius.