vanessid

British  

/ vəˈnɛsɪd /

noun

1. a butterfly belonging to any of several brightly coloured species, including admirals, tortoiseshells, and the Camberwell beauty, which with the fritillaries comprise the Nymphalidae

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to this group

Etymology

Origin of vanessid

C20: from New Latin vanessa

Example Sentences

The vanessid butterflies hibernate as imagos; the 'vapourer' winters in the egg, the magpie as a young ungrown larva, the 'tiger' as a half-size larva; the Agrotis caterpillar feeds through the winter, growing all the time; the codling caterpillar completes its growth in the autumn, and winters as a full-size resting larva; lastly, the 'whites' hibernate in the pupal state.

From Project Gutenberg