The African members of the rionidid genus Abisara are revised, with the description of one new species and a new subspecies. The following nomenclatural changes were made: Abisara intermedia Aurivillius, 1895, resurrected synonymy of A. tantalus; Abisara tantalus cyanis, ssp.n. to replace metallicus Berger, 1981, unavailable (ICZN, Art. 45.5); caerulea liberiana Clench, 1965 syn.n. ; Abisara caeca Rebel, 1914, reinst.stat.; Abisara rutherfordii; Abisara rogersi simulacris Riley, 1932, comb.n.; Abisara cameroonensis, sp.n.; Abisara neavei dollmani Riley, comb.n.; and Abisara delicata zanzibarica Collins, 1990, stat.n. The taxonomy and zoogeography of species of the African Abisara are discussed and a description of the immature stages of A. neavei is presented for the first time. Additional conclusions are that, like Asiatic species, the African Abisara have lateral projections on the proboscis for absorbing nutrients.