vanessid

/ 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

adjective

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vanessid¹

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