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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Abantis paradisea
Lepidoptera / Hesperiidae
The paradise skipper combines translucent pale wing panels with a strongly marked orange, black and white body.
Read the species accountAbantis paradisea is an African skipper placed in the subgenus Caprona. Butler described it in 1870 as Leucochitonea paradisea, from Port Natal. [2]
The black head carries white spots, while orange and black markings continue across the thorax and abdomen. Dark wing borders frame translucent, pale yellow areas. Males bear a forewing scent patch. South African wingspans are approximately 40–45 mm in males and 43–55 mm in females. [1]
The species occurs across parts of eastern and southern Africa, with additional records farther west. It inhabits moist savanna and coastal bush; Tanzanian records extend from sea level to about 1,500 m. [2]
In southern African rearings, females cover single eggs with abdominal scales. Young larvae cut and fold a leaf flap into a silk-fastened shelter. Larger larvae use leaf edges, then join leaves around the pupation site. [2]
Recorded larval hosts include Hibiscus tiliaceus, Philenoptera violacea and Bridelia micrantha. [1]
Males gather on hilltops and return to favoured twig perches a few metres above the ground. Adults visit flowers and damp ground. [2]
Male wing panels can be white or yellow. These colour forms belong to the same species. [2]
The pale wing panels are translucent, while the dark borders and strongly coloured body remain opaque. The male scent patch provides an additional sex-specific landmark. [1]
South African National Biodiversity Institute · Accessed 2026-10-13
Lepidopterists' Society of Africa · Accessed 2026-10-13
Sources checked 2026-10-13. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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