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thistle butterfly

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thistle butterfly

–noun
any nymphalid butterfly of the genus Vanessa, as the red admiral or painted lady.

Origin:
1830–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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painted lady  
n.  A widely distributed butterfly (Vanessa cardui) having brown, black, and orange markings. Also called cosmopolite, thistle butterfly.
thistle butterfly  
n.  See painted lady.

[So called because its larvae eat thistles.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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