Illustration of red admiral
red admiral
noun
: a nymphalid butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) that is common in both Europe and America, has broad orange-red bands on the forewings, and feeds chiefly on nettles in the larval stage
Examples of red admiral in a Sentence
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The red admiral is the most widespread butterfly in California, and host plants are nettles, such as baby’s tears, hops and pellitories.
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Sara Okeefe, Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2025
Native throughout North America, hops are most famously used for beer-making, but they can also be brewed into hot teas, and their flowers are highly attractive to butterflies like the red admiral.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024
Small children were wide-eyed and giggly when a delicate red admiral landed on their shoulder, or when a brightly colored monarch softly touched down on a young lady’s nose.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022
Known to entomologists as , 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.
—Dan Southerland, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2020
Queen, Gulf fritillary, black swallowtail, giant swallowtail, sulfur, red admiral, American beauty and other species of butterflies are flying right now in area landscapes.
—Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, 13 Sep. 2019
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Sara Okeefe, Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2025
Native throughout North America, hops are most famously used for beer-making, but they can also be brewed into hot teas, and their flowers are highly attractive to butterflies like the red admiral.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024
Small children were wide-eyed and giggly when a delicate red admiral landed on their shoulder, or when a brightly colored monarch softly touched down on a young lady’s nose.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2022
Known to entomologists as , 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.
—Dan Southerland, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2020
Queen, Gulf fritillary, black swallowtail, giant swallowtail, sulfur, red admiral, American beauty and other species of butterflies are flying right now in area landscapes.
—Calvin Finch, ExpressNews.com, 13 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Red admiral.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red%20admiral. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.
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