48 State Insects of the USA: Complete Guide to Every US State Insect (original) (raw)

Forty-eight US states have designated an official state insect, only three jurisdictions (the District of Columbia, Iowa and Michigan) have no state insect at all. Unlike state birds, which clustered on a handful of species, state insects show remarkable variety: 16 states picked a honey bee, but nearly every other pick is different, and the list includes butterflies, fireflies, ladybugs, dragonflies, damselflies, beetles, wasps, mantises, and even one state (New Mexico) that chose one of the world’s most painful stinging insects as its symbol.

California was the first state to recognise a state insect, the California Dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice), selected by a statewide entomologists’ poll in 1929 and formally adopted by state law in 1972. Maryland’s Baltimore Checkerspot followed in 1973, and a wave of state insect designations rolled through the 1970s and 1980s. The most recent additions are Indiana’s Say’s Firefly (2018) and Rhode Island’s American Burying Beetle (2015). Schoolchildren have played a central role in most of these campaigns.

This guide covers all 48 US state insects in detail, when each was adopted, what the species is like, why it was chosen, and what it tells you about the state. Jump straight to your state below, or read on for the full story of how America picked its state insects. For more state animal symbols, see our guides to state birds, state reptiles and state dog breeds.

Key facts about US state insects

• 48 US states have designated at least one state insect. Only three jurisdictions have not: the District of Columbia, Iowa and Michigan.
• First US state insect: California’s Dogface butterfly, by entomologists’ poll in 1929 and formal state law in 1972.
• Most popular state insect: the honey bee, designated by 16 states, mostly in the 1970s after agricultural industry lobbying.
• Most popular state butterfly: the monarch, chosen by 6 states (Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia).
• Most state insects for a single state: Tennessee has four (ladybug, firefly, zebra swallowtail butterfly and honey bee as the “state agricultural insect”).
• Most recent designations: Indiana’s Say’s Firefly (2018) and Rhode Island’s American Burying Beetle (2015).
• Only state with an arachnid-killing wasp as its state insect: New Mexico, with the Tarantula Hawk Wasp, a species whose sting is ranked among the most painful of any insect.
• The honey bee is not native to North America; it was introduced by European colonists in the 1620s. 16 US state insects are technically non-native species.

How states pick their insects

Designation follows the familiar route: a legislator introduces a bill; the bill moves through committee review and floor vote; the governor signs. What’s distinctive about state insect bills, more than for almost any other state symbol, is how often the push comes from schoolchildren. Elementary and middle school classes across the US have successfully lobbied state legislatures to designate fireflies, ladybugs, monarch butterflies and other species. State-insect bills are effectively civics lessons that produce real legislation.

Three main rationales appear repeatedly in state insect designations:

• Agricultural importance. The honey bee wave of the 1970s was partly coordinated by the American beekeeping industry lobbying state legislatures. Sixteen states list the honey bee, typically as either their state insect outright or as “state agricultural insect.”
• Regional ecology. Nevada’s vivid dancer damselfly lives in desert oases that define the state. Alaska’s four-spot skimmer dragonfly thrives in the far north. New Mexico’s tarantula hawk wasp is a distinctive desert predator. These picks tie the insect to the state’s landscape.
• Conservation messaging. Several states chose threatened species specifically to raise their profile. Rhode Island’s American Burying Beetle (2015) was federally endangered when designated. New Hampshire added the Karner Blue butterfly specifically because it’s endangered and regionally distinctive.

Not every proposal sails through. Iowa, Michigan and DC remain without state insects, in Iowa’s case, proposals for the ladybug, monarch butterfly and mayfly have all failed at various times in committee. The barrier is usually that no single species gets consensus support over the alternatives.

State insects at a glance

All 48 US state insects, with scientific name and category. Scroll on for the complete state-by-state guide.

Most shared state insects

Unlike state birds, which cluster heavily on a few species, state insects show broader variety. Still, a handful of species are shared across many states.

• Honey Bee (16 states): Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin. The honey bee wave came in the 1970s and was partly driven by coordinated lobbying from state beekeeping associations.
• Monarch Butterfly (6 states): Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia. Monarchs are iconic, charismatic, and migrate across the continent, making them a natural pick for multiple states along the migration route.
• Tiger Swallowtail (several variations, 5+ states): Virginia, Delaware, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina all claim the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in various forms. Arizona picked the Two-tailed Swallowtail, Mississippi the Spicebush Swallowtail, Oklahoma the Black Swallowtail, Oregon the Oregon Swallowtail, Tennessee the Zebra Swallowtail.
• Ladybug (5 states): Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire (two-spotted), North Dakota (convergent), Ohio, Tennessee, all picked a ladybug/ladybird beetle variant.
• Firefly (3 states): Indiana (Say’s Firefly), Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Firefly), Tennessee (firefly).

Alabama, Monarch Butterfly & Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Alabama designated both the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) and the eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) as state insects in 1989, unable to pick just one after competing school campaigns. Monarchs pass through Alabama twice a year on their migration between Mexican wintering grounds and the northern US, while tiger swallowtails are among the largest and most visible common butterflies of the state’s hardwood forests. Alabama’s dual designation is unusual, most states with two state insects separate them into distinct categories (e.g. “state insect” and “state butterfly”).

Alaska, Four-spot Skimmer Dragonfly

Alaska designated the four-spot skimmer dragonfly (Libellula quadrimaculata) in 1995. It’s one of only two state insects in the US that is a dragonfly, and a species particularly well-suited to Alaska’s short, intense summer. Four-spot skimmers are strong-flying medium-sized dragonflies with distinctive dark spots midway along each of their four wings. They’re circumpolar, found across Alaska, Canada, northern Europe and Asia, and voracious aerial predators of mosquitoes, which earns them enduring affection in Alaska specifically.

Arizona, Two-tailed Swallowtail

Arizona designated the two-tailed swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata) in 2001. It’s the largest butterfly in the American West, wingspans reach 13-15 cm, with bright yellow wings striped with black, and (as the name suggests) two tails extending from each hindwing rather than the usual one. Two-tailed swallowtails are most visible in Arizona’s riparian canyons during summer; they’re among the few butterflies strong enough to fly across wide desert distances between water sources. Arizona elementary schoolchildren lobbied for years before the designation was finally passed.

Arkansas, Honey Bee

Arkansas designated the honey bee (Apis mellifera) as its state insect in 1973, one of the first states to do so. Arkansas has a substantial commercial beekeeping industry, and the designation was driven by the state beekeepers’ association. Honey bees are technically not native to North America, they were introduced from Europe in the 1620s, but they have become so central to American agriculture (pollinating roughly a third of US food crops) that Arkansas and 15 other states have honoured them. Arkansas honey bees pollinate the state’s important fruit and vegetable crops.

California, California Dogface Butterfly

California was the first state to recognise a state insect. The California Dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice) was chosen by a statewide poll of entomologists organised by the Lorquin Entomological Society of Los Angeles in 1929; it was formally adopted by state law in 1972. The butterfly is named for the pattern on its yellow wings, which looks strikingly like the silhouette of a poodle’s face. The species occurs only in California, from the Coast Ranges to the Sierra foothills, and feeds exclusively on false indigo plants in the pea family.

Colorado, Colorado Hairstreak

Colorado designated the Colorado Hairstreak butterfly (Hypaurotis crysalus) in 1996 after a statewide schoolchildren’s vote. The species is dusky purple with orange spots, lives exclusively in Gambel oak habitats of the Colorado foothills, and is rarely seen despite being relatively common, it spends most of its day resting in the oak canopy, only descending to visit flowers near dawn and dusk. The larval stage feeds on Gambel oak leaves, making the butterfly completely dependent on this single host plant. It’s the only state insect whose entire life cycle is tied to a single oak species.

Connecticut, European Praying Mantis

Connecticut designated the European praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) in 1977. Unusually, it’s a non-native species, European mantises were introduced to Connecticut in 1899 and have thrived across the state since. Praying mantises are ambush predators with the only insect neck capable of rotating 180°, letting them scan for prey without moving their body. They’re popular with gardeners for eating garden pests, though they’re indiscriminate hunters that will also eat beneficial insects, small lizards and even hummingbirds. Connecticut is the only US state with a mantis as its primary state insect.

Delaware, Convergent Ladybug & Tiger Swallowtail

Delaware designated the convergent ladybug (Hippodamia convergens) as its state bug in 1974 and added the tiger swallowtail butterfly as state butterfly in 2019, two separate honours rather than two state insects per se. Convergent ladybugs are the common lady beetles of North American gardens, named for the two white converging markings on their pronotum (the area behind the head). They’re voracious aphid predators; a single ladybug can eat up to 5,000 aphids in its lifetime. The tiger swallowtail addition was pushed through by Delaware schoolchildren as an explicit companion to the state bug.

Florida, Zebra Longwing

Florida designated the zebra longwing butterfly (Heliconius charithonia) in 1996. It’s a striking jet-black butterfly with bright yellow striping across elongated wings, giving it an almost tropical appearance that matches Florida’s landscape. Zebra longwings have several extraordinary traits: they live remarkably long for butterflies (up to 6 months), they roost communally in groups of up to 60, and they are the only butterflies in North America known to feed on pollen as well as nectar, which gives them a protein boost that probably extends their lives. They’re most common in the hammock forests of south Florida.

Georgia, Honey Bee & Tiger Swallowtail

Georgia designated the honey bee as its state insect in 1975 and the tiger swallowtail as state butterfly in 1988. Georgia’s beekeeping industry is significant, and honey bees are essential to the state’s peach, watermelon and pecan crops. The Eastern tiger swallowtail is among the largest butterflies in the US, wingspan 7-14 cm, and is unmistakably yellow with four black tiger stripes on each forewing. Females come in two colour forms: yellow like the male, and an all-black form that mimics the foul-tasting pipevine swallowtail, conferring some protection from predators through mimicry.

Hawaii, Kamehameha Butterfly (Pulelehua)

Hawaii designated the Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa tameamea), known in Hawaiian as Pulelehua, in 2009. It’s one of only two butterfly species native to Hawaii (the other is the Blackburn’s Blue) and is named after Kamehameha I, who unified the Hawaiian islands in the early 1800s. The butterfly is orange and brown with white spots on the forewing tips, and its caterpillars feed exclusively on native Hawaiian mamaki (Pipturus) plants. As Hawaiian lowland forests have been converted to agriculture and urban development, Kamehameha butterfly populations have declined sharply, and the species is now rare on most islands.

Idaho, Monarch Butterfly

Idaho designated the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in 1992 as its state insect. Monarchs are the most recognisable butterfly in North America, with their brilliant orange-and-black-veined wings. Idaho sits along the western monarch migration route, with populations wintering in coastal California and spreading east through Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and Washington in summer. Western monarch populations have collapsed dramatically since the 1990s, from several million to fewer than 30,000 most years, making Idaho’s state insect one of the most endangered on the list despite its former abundance.

Illinois, Monarch Butterfly

Illinois designated the monarch butterfly in 1975 after a state-wide vote by Illinois schoolchildren organised by the Illinois Press Association. Illinois sits squarely in the heart of the eastern monarch migration route, and a central Illinois prairie in summer can host thousands of monarchs feeding on goldenrod and milkweed. The species is iconic enough that Illinois kids’ vote brought the monarch to six other states over the following decades. Like the western population, the eastern migratory monarchs have declined by roughly 80% since the 1990s and in 2022 were classified by the IUCN as Endangered.

Indiana, Say’s Firefly

Indiana designated Say’s Firefly (Pyractomena angulata) in 2018 after a decade-long campaign led by fourth-grade students at Cumberland Elementary in West Lafayette. The firefly is named for Thomas Say, the early 19th-century naturalist called “the father of American entomology,” who lived the last decade of his life in New Harmony, Indiana. Fireflies aren’t actually flies, they’re beetles that produce cold light through bioluminescent chemistry in their abdomens. Indiana’s choice is notable for being the most recent state insect designation and for the remarkable duration of the schoolchildren’s campaign.

Kansas, Honey Bee

Kansas designated the honey bee in 1976. Kansas commercial beekeeping is modest but the state’s vast agricultural sector, alfalfa, sunflower, squash and other crops, is deeply dependent on pollination, and the designation recognises the broader economic role of the species. Honey bee colonies in Kansas are migratory: beekeepers truck hives around the country, following blooming seasons from California almond orchards in February through the Dakotas in late summer, turning Kansas’s prairies into one of the stops on the circuit.

Kentucky, Viceroy Butterfly

Kentucky designated the viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) in 1990. Viceroys are one of the great examples of Batesian mimicry in the insect world: they look virtually identical to monarchs (orange with black veins and white-spotted black borders), but are a different species entirely in a different butterfly family. Historically the viceroy was thought to be an edible mimic of the toxic monarch, but more recent studies suggest both species are moderately toxic. Viceroys have a distinctive flight pattern, alternating flapping and gliding, which expert observers can spot across a field.

Louisiana, Honey Bee

Louisiana designated the honey bee in 1977. Louisiana is a significant commercial beekeeping state, and also ground zero for the parasitic varroa mite problem that has devastated honey bee colonies since the 1990s. Louisiana beekeepers have been at the forefront of breeding varroa-resistant bee lines, including the “Louisiana Hybrid” developed at the USDA Baton Rouge lab. Honey bees pollinate Louisiana’s sugarcane, satsuma citrus, strawberry and watermelon crops, making them economically essential to the state even though they’re not native.

Maine, Honey Bee

Maine designated the honey bee in 1975. Maine honey is distinctive because of the state’s short flowering season: the bulk of each year’s crop is produced in just two or three months from blueberry, clover and goldenrod blooms. Maine’s wild blueberry industry depends heavily on honey bee pollination, with commercial beekeepers trucking tens of thousands of hives into blueberry fields each June. Maine honey often has a dark colour and strong flavour from the late-season goldenrod harvest.

Maryland, Baltimore Checkerspot

Maryland designated the Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) in 1973, one of the earliest state insect designations. The species is named after the heraldic colours of the Calvert family (founders of the Maryland colony) and shares its name with both Maryland’s state bird (Baltimore oriole) and the MLB team. Baltimore Checkerspots are medium-sized butterflies with orange and white checkered patterning on dark wings. They breed in Maryland’s wet meadows, feeding on white turtlehead plants. Populations have declined sharply with wetland drainage, and the state now considers the Baltimore Checkerspot a conservation priority species.

Massachusetts, Ladybug

Massachusetts designated the ladybug (Coccinella novemnotata, the nine-spotted ladybug) as its state insect in 1974 after a campaign by a second-grade class in Franklin. By remarkable coincidence, the nine-spotted ladybug was once abundant across New England but has become vanishingly rare since the 1980s, pushed out by introduced European species of ladybug. The species was feared extinct in the US until 2006, when a specimen was rediscovered on Long Island. Massachusetts’s choice now doubles as a conservation banner for an insect that barely survives in the state.

Minnesota, Monarch Butterfly

Minnesota designated the monarch butterfly in 2000. Monarch butterflies migrate through Minnesota each summer as they move from their Mexican wintering grounds to breeding sites across the Great Lakes region. The timing of the Minnesota migration is so reliable that the first monarch sightings of the year are a traditional marker of spring arrival in the state. Minnesota’s Blue Butterfly Conservancy and “Monarch Highway” initiatives have made the state a hub for pollinator corridor restoration along the interstate system, an effort explicitly tied to the state insect.

Mississippi, Honey Bee & Spicebush Swallowtail

Mississippi designated the honey bee as its state insect in 1980 and added the spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) as state butterfly in 1991. The spicebush swallowtail is a mid-sized black butterfly with blue iridescence on the hindwings; it’s named for its caterpillar’s preferred host plant, the spicebush shrub. The caterpillars are famous for resembling a tiny green snake, complete with fake eyespots, a defense against bird predators. Mississippi’s forests and swamps are excellent habitat for the species, which is common across the state.

Missouri, Honey Bee

Missouri designated the honey bee in 1985. Missouri is ground zero for commercial American apiculture, the state has one of the largest beekeeping industries by hive count in the Midwest, and the annual Missouri State Beekeepers Association meetings are among the largest in the country. The honey bee’s economic contribution to Missouri agriculture is estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually, primarily through pollination of the state’s soybean, corn, apple, peach and watermelon crops.

Montana, Mourning Cloak Butterfly

Montana designated the mourning cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) in 2001. It’s one of only two butterflies in Montana that overwinter as adults rather than as eggs, larvae or pupae, mourning cloaks tuck themselves into tree bark crevices or log piles, produce their own natural antifreeze, and emerge on warm days in late winter long before any other butterfly is flying. Montana residents often see them on the first warm days of March, flitting across snowbanks. The name refers to the wings’ dark, velvety maroon colour with pale yellow edges, reminiscent of a mourning cloak.

Nebraska, Honey Bee

Nebraska designated the honey bee in 1975. Nebraska’s corn and soybean dominated landscape is less hospitable to honey bees than states with more diverse flowering crops, but the state’s alfalfa production and orchard crops make honey bees economically important. Nebraska schoolchildren lobbied for the designation, and the state legislature passed it quickly; the honey bee was already Utah’s state insect at that point (1959) and the concept had plenty of momentum.

Nevada, Vivid Dancer Damselfly

Nevada designated the vivid dancer damselfly (Argia vivida) in 2009. Damselflies are close relatives of dragonflies but distinguished by resting with their wings folded together over the back rather than held flat. The vivid dancer is strikingly coloured, males are an electric blue with black markings. They breed in Nevada’s scarce desert springs, oases and perennial streams, making them ecological indicators for the health of the state’s rare permanent water sources. Nevada is the only US state with a damselfly as its state insect.

New Hampshire, Two-spotted Ladybug & Karner Blue

New Hampshire has two designations: the two-spotted ladybug (Adalia bipunctata) as state insect (1977) and the Karner blue butterfly (Plebejus melissa samuelis) as state butterfly (1992). The Karner blue is federally endangered, a small, brilliantly blue butterfly whose caterpillars feed exclusively on wild lupine, which has largely disappeared from its historical range. New Hampshire’s state butterfly designation was explicitly a conservation statement. The two-spotted ladybug is a small common red-and-black ladybug, once widespread but now also declining, pushed out by the invasive Asian multicolored ladybug.

New Jersey, Honey Bee

New Jersey designated the honey bee in 1974. Despite being the most densely populated US state, New Jersey maintains a surprisingly active beekeeping sector, with honey bees pollinating the state’s major cranberry, blueberry and peach crops. New Jersey is a notable state in honey bee research history: the 1880s-era agricultural experiment station at Rutgers was among the first to systematically study bee biology, and Rutgers still maintains one of the country’s premier apiculture research programs.

New Mexico, Tarantula Hawk Wasp

New Mexico designated the tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis grossa) in 1989. It’s arguably the most dramatic state insect in the country. The tarantula hawk hunts tarantulas, stings them into paralysis, drags them to a burrow, and lays an egg on the still-living spider so its larva can feed on it alive. The sting of a tarantula hawk is ranked #2 on the Schmidt Pain Index (the scientific scale of insect stings), entomologist Justin Schmidt described it as “blinding, fierce, shockingly electric.” New Mexico schoolchildren campaigned for the wasp despite (or possibly because of) its intimidating reputation.

New York, Nine-spotted Ladybug

New York designated the nine-spotted ladybug (Coccinella novemnotata) in 1989. The same species is Massachusetts’s state insect. The nine-spotted ladybug was once so common across New York that it was called the “Farmer’s Friend”; today it’s exceptionally rare. The species was thought extinct in the US for roughly three decades before being rediscovered in 2006 on Long Island. Current conservation efforts at Cornell University are actively breeding nine-spotted ladybugs for release into New York farmland.

North Carolina, Honey Bee

North Carolina designated the honey bee in 1973, one of the earliest honey bee state designations. North Carolina honey bees pollinate one of the state’s most important specialty crops: sweetpotato. The state is the nation’s largest sweetpotato producer, and without honey bee pollination, sweetpotato yields drop by 50% or more. North Carolina’s beekeeping industry is substantial and actively supported by NC State University’s extension programs, which train hundreds of new beekeepers each year.

North Dakota, Convergent Lady Beetle

North Dakota designated the convergent lady beetle (Hippodamia convergens) in 2011. It’s one of the most common native ladybugs in the US. North Dakota’s choice was driven partly by the species’ economic value: convergent ladybugs are voracious predators of soybean aphids and other crop pests that plague North Dakota agriculture. Commercial farmers in the state often purchase field-collected convergent ladybugs by the tens of thousands for release on soybean fields, though studies have shown that released ladybugs typically disperse quickly rather than staying to consume the target pests.

Ohio, Ladybug

Ohio designated the ladybug (specifically the seven-spotted, Coccinella septempunctata) in 1975. The seven-spotted ladybug is European in origin but has become the most abundant ladybug in Ohio since its introduction in the 1970s. Its spread has displaced several native ladybug species, including the convergent and the nine-spotted, a pattern that has played out across the US. Ohio’s ladybug designation predates these displacements and so doesn’t reflect today’s more complicated ecological picture.

Oklahoma, Honey Bee & Black Swallowtail

Oklahoma designated the honey bee as state insect in 1992 and added the black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) as state butterfly in 1996. Black swallowtails are among the most adaptable butterflies in the US; their caterpillars feed on plants in the carrot family (including carrots, dill and parsley), which makes them common in Oklahoma gardens as well as in the wild. The caterpillars are striking, green with black bands and yellow spots, and have an inflatable orange “horn” (called an osmeterium) that produces a foul smell to deter predators.

Oregon, Oregon Swallowtail

Oregon designated the Oregon Swallowtail (Papilio oregonius) in 1979. It’s a close relative of the anise swallowtail but lives specifically in the dry sagebrush country of eastern Oregon, Washington and neighbouring states, it’s not found west of the Cascade crest. The caterpillars feed on desert sagebrush tarragon, a tough host plant that has limited the butterfly’s range. The Oregon swallowtail is yellow with black tiger-style striping, very similar at first glance to the more widespread tiger swallowtail but smaller and more fluttery in flight.

Pennsylvania, Firefly

Pennsylvania designated the Pennsylvania Firefly (Photuris pensylvanica) in 1974, one of the first state insect designations of the 1970s wave. The Pennsylvania firefly has an unusual (and somewhat sinister) feeding habit for its family: adult females can mimic the light-flashing patterns of other firefly species to lure male fireflies of those species within range, then eat them. It’s one of the few known examples of aggressive mimicry in insects. Pennsylvania schoolchildren at the Upper Darby School District campaigned for the designation.

Rhode Island, American Burying Beetle

Rhode Island designated the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) in 2015. It’s one of the most endangered insects in the US, the species was federally listed as endangered in 1989, with fewer than 1,000 individuals estimated in the wild. Burying beetles are extraordinary ecological recyclers: a pair will locate a small dead animal, quickly bury it underground, strip the fur or feathers, and treat the carcass with antibiotic secretions to preserve it as food for their larvae. Rhode Island’s designation was explicitly a conservation statement. The species survives in the wild on Block Island, RI.

South Carolina, Carolina Mantid & Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

South Carolina designated the Carolina mantid (Stagmomantis carolina) as state insect in 1988 and the eastern tiger swallowtail as state butterfly in 1994. The Carolina mantid is a native North American mantis species, distinguishable from the introduced European and Chinese mantises by its smaller size (5-6 cm rather than 8-10) and mottled brown or green colouration. Unlike Connecticut’s European praying mantis, South Carolina’s designation honours a mantis that evolved in North America.

South Dakota, Honey Bee

South Dakota designated the honey bee in 1978. South Dakota is frequently the largest honey-producing state in the US by volume, thanks to its vast flowering clover fields and extensive alfalfa acreage. Many of the country’s commercial beekeeping operations truck their hives into South Dakota in summer specifically for the clover honey season. South Dakota honey is typically light in colour and mild in flavour.

Tennessee, Firefly, Ladybug, Honey Bee & Zebra Swallowtail

Tennessee has the most state insects in the country: four. Firefly (Photinus pyralis, 1975), ladybug (1975), honey bee as “state agricultural insect” (1990) and zebra swallowtail (Protographium marcellus, 1995). The zebra swallowtail is especially striking, white with bold black tiger striping, long tails, and touches of red and blue on the hindwing margins. It feeds exclusively on pawpaw trees, which are common in the Tennessee hill country, and is one of the few American butterflies to depend on a single host plant genus for its entire life cycle.

Texas, Monarch Butterfly

Texas designated the monarch butterfly in 1995. Every eastern monarch butterfly passes through Texas on its way from Mexico to summer breeding grounds, making Texas a critical corridor state for the species. The annual monarch migration through Texas in September-October is a spectacular phenomenon, with millions of butterflies concentrating in the hill country around San Antonio and Austin. The collapse of the eastern migratory population since the 1990s, from over a billion butterflies to around 100 million, is one of the most documented insect declines in US history.

Utah, Honey Bee

Utah designated the honey bee in 1983, fitting, because Utah’s nickname “The Beehive State” predates its state insect by over a century. Mormon settlers called their original settlement Deseret, which means “honey bee” in the Book of Mormon, and the beehive has been Utah’s symbol since the 1840s. The state flag features a beehive, and the state motto (“Industry”) refers to the industriousness of bees. The honey bee designation simply formalised a connection that was already baked into Utah’s cultural identity.

Vermont, Honey Bee & Monarch Butterfly

Vermont designated the honey bee in 1978 and added the monarch butterfly as state butterfly in 1987. Vermont maple syrup production is indirectly dependent on healthy insect populations for forest regeneration, and the state has pursued aggressive pollinator protection policies. Vermont was also one of the first US states to restrict neonicotinoid pesticides explicitly to protect honey bee and native bee populations. Vermont monarchs migrate south through the Hudson Valley and then across the central US to Mexican wintering grounds each autumn.

Virginia, Tiger Swallowtail

Virginia designated the eastern tiger swallowtail as its state insect in 1991. The species is among the largest butterflies in the eastern US and is a fixture of Virginia’s gardens, farms and deciduous forests from spring through autumn. Virginia’s tiger swallowtails have three broods per year in the southern part of the state, more than most swallowtail populations elsewhere, which keeps the butterfly visible throughout summer and early autumn. The black-form females (a melanistic variant that mimics the toxic pipevine swallowtail) are more common in Virginia than in northern states.

Washington, Green Darner Dragonfly

Washington designated the green darner dragonfly (Anax junius) in 1997. The green darner is one of the largest and fastest North American dragonflies, wingspan up to 11 cm and flight speeds reaching 50 km/h, and one of only a handful of dragonfly species that undertake annual migrations similar to monarchs. Green darners bred in Washington in summer migrate south to Mexico each autumn, with their offspring returning in spring. Washington’s dragonfly designation, like Alaska’s, reflects the species’ importance as a high-altitude mosquito predator.

West Virginia, Monarch Butterfly

West Virginia designated the monarch butterfly as its state butterfly in 1995 (no state insect designation). West Virginia lies along the eastern monarch migration corridor, and the Kanawha Valley and Monongahela National Forest are important rest stops for monarchs on their autumn journey. The species represents something of a conservation dilemma in West Virginia: despite its symbolic status, milkweed (the monarch caterpillar’s only food plant) has declined dramatically due to roadside mowing and herbicide use along farm edges.

Wisconsin, Honey Bee

Wisconsin designated the honey bee in 1977. Wisconsin’s dairy-dominated agricultural landscape is rich in flowering alfalfa and clover, making the state excellent honey-producing territory. Wisconsin beekeepers have been at the forefront of the “bee-friendly agriculture” movement, working with the state’s major dairy and soybean producers to reduce pesticide impacts on pollinators. The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s honey bee research programme is among the most prominent in the country.

Wyoming, Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak

Wyoming designated Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridanii) in 2009. It’s a small, bright emerald-green butterfly, one of the only US butterflies that is genuinely green on both wing surfaces, named after Civil War general Philip Sheridan, who collected specimens during his western campaigns in the 1870s. The species breeds on sulphur-flower buckwheat across Wyoming’s sagebrush plains and foothills. Sheridan’s green hairstreak is rarely seen because of its small size (wingspan 2-2.5 cm) and habit of holding its wings tightly closed when perched, making the green underside its only visible colour.

US states and territories without a state insect

Three US jurisdictions have no state insect: the District of Columbia, Iowa and Michigan. Iowa has seen state insect bills for the ladybug, monarch butterfly and mayfly fail in committee over the decades; Michigan has fielded multiple bills (most recently for the green darner dragonfly) but has similarly failed to pass one. In DC’s case the question has rarely been seriously raised, partly because DC is not a state and has a different process for adopting official emblems. These three will likely eventually pick a state insect, Indiana did so only in 2018 after more than a decade of lobbying, but the timing depends on sustained advocacy by schoolchildren or other interest groups.

Notable firsts and quirky facts about US state insects

• First US state insect: California’s Dogface butterfly, informally by entomologist poll 1929, formally 1972.
• First formal state-insect designation by statute: Maryland’s Baltimore Checkerspot, 1973.
• Most recent: Indiana’s Say’s Firefly (2018).
• Most state insects designated by one state: Tennessee (four: firefly, ladybug, honey bee, zebra swallowtail).
• Most endangered state insect: Rhode Island’s American Burying Beetle (federally endangered).
• Only state insect whose sting is on the Schmidt Pain Index: New Mexico’s tarantula hawk wasp (rated 4.0 out of 4.0).
• Non-native state insects: at least 17, the 16 honey bee states plus Connecticut’s European praying mantis and Ohio’s seven-spotted ladybug.
• Only state insect known to be virtually extinct in the state that designated it: Massachusetts’s nine-spotted ladybug.
• Only state insect to practice aggressive light-mimicry cannibalism: Pennsylvania’s firefly.
• Only state to have a dragonfly and damselfly between its state symbols: the US collectively, Alaska (four-spot skimmer), Nevada (vivid dancer damselfly) and Washington (green darner).
• State insects with entire life cycle dependent on a single host plant: Colorado’s hairstreak (Gambel oak), Tennessee’s zebra swallowtail (pawpaw), Hawaii’s pulelehua (mamaki), New Hampshire’s Karner blue (wild lupine).

Frequently asked questions about US state insects

How many US states have a state insect?

Forty-eight US states have designated at least one state insect. Only three jurisdictions have not: Iowa, Michigan and the District of Columbia. Several states (Tennessee, Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Vermont) have more than one state insect, typically combining a state insect with a separate state butterfly or state agricultural insect.

What is the most common US state insect?

The honey bee is the most common US state insect, designated by 16 states (Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin). The monarch butterfly is second with 6-7 states, and various tiger swallowtail species are shared across several more.

Which state was the first to pick a state insect?

California was the first US state to recognise a state insect. The California Dogface butterfly (Zerene eurydice) was chosen by a 1929 entomologists’ poll organised by the Lorquin Entomological Society of Los Angeles, and formally adopted by state law in 1972. Maryland’s Baltimore Checkerspot (1973) was the first state insect designated by statute in a single step.

What is the most recent US state insect designation?

Indiana’s Say’s Firefly (2018) is the most recent state insect designation. It followed a decade-long campaign by fourth-grade students at Cumberland Elementary in West Lafayette. Before that, Rhode Island’s American Burying Beetle (2015) was the most recent.

Which US states don’t have a state insect?

Three US jurisdictions have no state insect: Iowa, Michigan and the District of Columbia. All three have seen unsuccessful proposals over the years. Iowa has considered the ladybug, monarch butterfly and mayfly. Michigan has considered multiple dragonfly and butterfly species. DC has the least active history of insect bills among the three.

Is the honey bee native to the United States?

No. The honey bee (Apis mellifera) is native to Europe, Africa and parts of Asia. It was introduced to North America by European colonists in the 1620s, and rapidly spread across the continent with European settlement. Despite being non-native, it has become essential to American agriculture, pollinating roughly a third of US food crops by some estimates. Sixteen US states have made this non-native species their state insect.

Why is the monarch butterfly such a popular state insect?

Monarchs are iconic, highly visible, culturally resonant, and they migrate through most of the continental US each year, so virtually any state has a legitimate claim to them. Monarchs have been widely adopted by schoolchildren and environmental educators as a gateway insect for teaching about insect life cycles, migration and conservation, which has made them a default pick for state-insect campaigns. Six or seven states have designated the monarch: Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont and West Virginia.

What is the rarest US state insect?

Rhode Island’s American Burying Beetle is the most endangered US state insect, federally listed as endangered since 1989 with fewer than 1,000 individuals in the wild. Massachusetts’s nine-spotted ladybug is also critically rare; the species was thought extinct in the US for decades before a single specimen was rediscovered on Long Island in 2006. New Hampshire’s Karner blue butterfly is federally endangered, and the monarch butterfly (state insect of 6-7 states) was classified as Endangered by the IUCN in 2022.

Can a US state have more than one state insect?

Yes. Nine states have more than one state insect designation, usually combining a state insect with a separate state butterfly, state agricultural insect or state bug. Tennessee has the most with four designations (firefly, ladybug, honey bee, zebra swallowtail). Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Vermont each have two.

Which US state has a wasp as its state insect?

New Mexico is the only US state with a wasp as its state insect: the tarantula hawk wasp (Pepsis grossa), designated in 1989. The tarantula hawk’s sting is rated among the most painful in the insect world on the Schmidt Pain Index, and the species has a dramatic life cycle in which adults hunt tarantulas, paralyse them, and lay eggs on the still-living spider for larvae to feed on.

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