A couple of days ago I found a ragged skipper (Abantis pillaana, formerly Caprona pillaana and still listed as this in some databases) at my house in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, South Africa. This butterfly belongs to the family Hesperiidae, the family known as Skippers. Skippers are named for their quick, darting flight habits. The ragged skipper is found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, from Mozambique to eastern Africa, Ethiopia and south-western Arabia. Abantis is an Afrotropical genus that is also known as the paradise skippers.

Abantis pillaana is regarded as widespread in South Africa, but it is uncommon and is usually found singly or low numbers. They fly fast, and visit both flowers and damp spots on the banks of streams.

Male Abantis, including the ragged skipper, are territorial and often encountered more often than females. Males will often engage intruders into their territories, and tend to display very rapid and high flight. In contrast, females fly closer to the ground and show more relaxed flight habits. They are active year-round, with peaks from September to November and from March to May, but given their low numbers they can be difficult to find.

The larvae feed on Grewia species (including Grewia flava and Grewia monticola), Dombeya species (including Dombeya rotundifolia and Dombeya burgessiae) and Sterculia quinqueloba.

— Thanks to Steve Woodhall for help with identification.