Noun | 1. | ![]() butterfly - diurnal insect typically having a slender body with knobbed antennae and broad colorful wings family Nymphalidae, Nymphalidae - large beautifully colored butterflies Camberwell beauty, mourning cloak, mourning cloak butterfly, Nymphalis antiopa - of temperate regions; having dark purple wings with yellow borders tortoiseshell butterfly, tortoiseshell - brilliantly colored; larvae feed on nettles painted beauty, Vanessa virginiensis - American butterfly having dark brown wings with white and golden orange spots admiral - any of several brightly colored butterflies red admiral, Vanessa atalanta - of temperate Europe and Asia; having black wings with red and white markings Limenitis camilla, white admiral - Eurasian butterfly with brown wings and white markings banded purple, Limenitis arthemis, white admiral - North American butterfly with blue-black wings crossed by a broad white band Limenitis astyanax, red-spotted purple - similar to the banded purple but with red spots on underwing surfaces Limenitis archippus, viceroy - showy American butterfly resembling the monarch but smaller anglewing - nymphalid butterfly having angular notches on the outer edges of the forewings comma butterfly, Polygonia comma, comma - anglewing butterfly with a comma-shaped mark on the underside of each hind wing fritillary - butterfly with brownish wings marked with black and silver emperor butterfly, emperor - large richly colored butterfly Inachis io, peacock, peacock butterfly - European butterfly having reddish-brown wings each marked with a purple eyespot |