Abantis

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.

==Species== Abantis adelica (Karsch, 1892) Abantis amneris (Rebel & Rogenhofer, 1894) Abantis arctomarginata Lathy, 1901 Abantis bamptoni Collins & Larsen, 1994 Abantis bicolor (Trimen, 1864) Abantis bismarcki Karsch, 1892 Abantis canopus (Trimen, 1864) Abantis cassualalla (Bethune-Baker, 1911) Abantis contigua Evans, 1937 Abantis efulensis Holland, 1896 Abantis elegantula (Mabille, 1890) Abantis eltringhami Jordan, 1932 Abantis hindei (Druce, 1903) Abantis ja Druce, 1909 Abantis leucogaster (Mabille, 1890) Abantis levubu (Wallengren, 1857) Abantis lucretia Druce, 1909 Abantis meneliki Berger, 1979 Abantis meru Evans, 1947 Abantis nigeriana Butler, 1901 Abantis paradisea (Butler, 1870) Abantis pillaana (Wallengren, 1857) Abantis pseudonigeriana Usher, 1984 Abantis rubra Holland, 1920 Abantis tanobia Collins & Larsen, 2005 Abantis tettensis Hopffer, 1855 Abantis venosa Trimen, 1889 Abantis vidua Weymer, 1901 Abantis zambesiaca (Westwood, 1874)