State insects are designated by 41 individual states of the fifty United States. Some states have more than one designated insect, or have multiple categories (e.g., state insect and state butterfly, etc.). More than half of the insects chosen are not native to North America, because of the inclusion of three European species (European honey bee, European mantis, and 7-spotted ladybug).
State | State insect | Binomial nomenclature |
Image | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Monarch Butterfly | Danaus plexippus | 1989[1] | |
Alaska | Four-Spotted Skimmer Dragonfly | Libellula quadrimaculata | ||
Arizona | Two-Tailed Swallowtail (State Butterfly) |
Papilio multicaudata | ||
Arkansas | European honey bee (State Insect) |
Apis mellifera | 1973[2] | |
Diana Fritillary Butterfly (State Butterfly) |
Speyeria diana | 2007[2] | ||
California | California Dogface Butterfly | Zerene eurydice | 1972 | |
Colorado | Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly | Hypaurotis crysalus | ||
Connecticut | European mantis | Mantis religiosa | ||
Delaware | 7-spotted ladybug (State Bug) |
Coccinella septempunctata | 1974[3] | |
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (State Butterfly) |
Papilio glaucus | 1999[4] | ||
Georgia | European honey bee (State Insect) |
Apis mellifera | 1975[5] | |
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (State Butterfly) |
Papilio glaucus | 1988[6] | ||
Florida | Zebra Longwing (State Butterfly) |
Heliconius charitonius | 1996[7] | |
Hawaii | Kamehameha butterfly | Vanessa tameamea | 2009[8] | |
Idaho | Monarch Butterfly | Danaus plexippus | 1992[9] | |
Illinois | Monarch Butterfly | Danaus plexippus | 1975[10] | |
Kansas | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | ||
Kentucky | Viceroy Butterfly | Limenitis archippus | ||
Louisiana | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | ||
Maine | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | ||
Maryland | Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly | Euphydryas phaeton | 1973[11] | |
Massachusetts | 7-spotted ladybug | Coccinella septempunctata | ||
Minnesota | Monarch Butterfly | Danaus plexippus | 2000[12] | |
Mississippi | European honey bee (State Insect) |
Apis mellifera | 1980[13] | |
Spicebush Swallowtail (State Butterfly) |
Papilio troilus | 1991[13] | ||
Missouri | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | ||
Montana | Mourning Cloak Butterfly | Nymphalis antiopa | ||
Nebraska | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | ||
New Hampshire | 7-spotted ladybug (State Insect) |
Coccinella septempunctata | 1977[14] | |
Karner Blue Butterfly (State Butterfly) |
Lycaeides melissa (subspecies samuelis) |
1992[14] | ||
New Jersey | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | ||
New Mexico | Tarantula hawk wasp (State Insect) |
Pepsis formosa | 1989[15] | |
Sandia Hairstreak Butterfly (State Butterfly) |
Callophrys mcfarlandi | 2003[16] | ||
New York | 9-spotted ladybug | Coccinella novemnotata | 1989[17] | |
North Carolina | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | 1973[18] | |
Ohio | 7-spotted ladybug | Coccinella septempunctata | ||
Oklahoma | European honey bee (State Insect) |
Apis mellifera | 1992[19] | |
Black Swallowtail Butterfly (State Butterfly) |
Papilio polyxenes | 1996[19] | ||
Oregon | Oregon Swallowtail Butterfly | Papilio oregonius | ||
Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania firefly (State Insect) |
Photuris pennsylvanica | 1974[20] | |
7-spotted ladybug (?) |
Coccinella septempunctata | [21] | ||
South Carolina | Carolina mantis (State Insect) |
Stagmomantis carolina | 1988[22] | |
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (State Butterfly) |
Papilio glaucus | 1994[23] | ||
South Dakota | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | ||
Tennessee | Common eastern firefly (State Insect) |
Photuris pyralis | 1975[24] | |
7-spotted ladybug (State Insect) |
Coccinella septempunctata | 1975[24] | ||
European honey bee (State Agricultural Insect) |
Apis mellifera | 1990[24] | ||
Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly (State Butterfly) |
Eurytides marcellus | 1995[24] | ||
Texas | Monarch Butterfly | Danaus plexippus | 1995[25] | |
Utah | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | 1983[26] | |
Vermont | European honey bee (State Insect) |
Apis mellifera | 1978[27] | |
Monarch Butterfly (State Butterfly) |
Danaus plexippus | 1987[28] | ||
Virginia | Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly | Papilio glaucus | ||
Washington | Green Darner Dragonfly | Anax junius | 1997[29] | |
West Virginia | European honey bee (State Insect) |
Apis mellifera | 2002[30] | |
Monarch Butterfly (State Butterfly) |
Danaus plexippus | 1995[31] | ||
Wisconsin | European honey bee | Apis mellifera | 1977[32] |
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