Operating unusually for a butterfly
I believe the answer is:
orange-tip
'a butterfly' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'operating unusually' is the subsidiary indication.
'unusually' indicates an anagram.
'operating' anagrammed gives 'orangetip'.
'for' is the link.
(Other definitions for orange-tip that I've seen before include "British butterfly" , "Common butterfly" , "Butterfly variety" .)