red admiral

American  

noun

1. admiral6

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red admiral British  

noun

1. a nymphalid butterfly, Vanessa atalanta , of temperate Europe and Asia, having black wings with red and white markings See also white admiral

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Etymology

Origin of red admiral

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

According to the Big Butterfly Count, the gatekeeper was behind the red admiral as the second most-seen species with 222,896 sightings - an increase of 12% on last year.

From BBC • Sep. 14, 2023

A charity's butterfly count in July recorded a four-fold increase in sightings of the majestic red admiral - continuing a long-term trend.

From BBC • Aug. 3, 2023

He retains a vivid picture of that moment: he was gazing at some Michaelmas daisies when a red admiral flew in.

From The Guardian • Oct. 13, 2020

Known to entomologists as Vanessa atalanta, the red admiral is mostly black, with white spots near the wing tips, orange bands on the hind wings, and a bright red band on the forewing.

From Washington Post • Mar. 20, 2020

A red admiral fluttered onto the small of his back to drink from the puddle of sweat there.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell