State insects are designated by 48 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.). Iowa and Michigan are the two states without a designated state insect.
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 ladybird), each having been chosen by multiple states.
State | State insect | Image | Year | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alabama | Monarch butterfly (state insect) | Danaus plexippus | 1989[1] | ||
Queen Honey bee (state agricultural insect) | Apis mellifera | 2005[2] | |||
Eastern tiger swallowtail (state butterfly and mascot) | Papilio glaucus | 1989[3] | |||
Alaska | Libellula quadrimaculata | 1995[4] | |||
Arizona | Two-tailed swallowtail (state butterfly) | Papilio multicaudata | 2001[5] | ||
Arkansas | European honey bee (state insect) | Apis mellifera | 1973[6] | ||
Diana fritillary butterfly (state butterfly) | Speyeria diana | 2007 | |||
California | California dogface butterfly (state butterfly) | Zerene eurydice | 1972[7] | ||
Colorado | Hypaurotis crysalus | 1996[8] | |||
Connecticut | Mantis religiosa | 1977[9] | |||
Delaware | 7-spotted ladybug (state bug) | Coccinella septempunctata | 1974[10] | ||
Eastern tiger swallowtail (state butterfly) | Papilio glaucus | 1999[11] | |||
Stonefly (state macroinvertebrate) | Order Plecoptera | 2005[12] | |||
Florida | Zebra longwing (state butterfly) | Heliconius charitonius | 1996[13] | ||
Georgia | European honey bee (state insect) | Apis mellifera | 1975[14] | ||
Eastern tiger swallowtail (state butterfly) | Papilio glaucus | 1988[15] | |||
Hawaii | Vanessa tameamea | 2009[16] | |||
Idaho | Danaus plexippus | 1992[17] | |||
Illinois | Danaus plexippus | 1975[18] | |||
Indiana | Pyractomena angulata | 2018[19] | |||
Kansas | Apis mellifera | 1976[20] | |||
Kentucky | European honey bee (state agricultural insect) | Apis mellifera | 2010[21] | ||
Viceroy butterfly (state butterfly) | Limenitis archippus | 1990[22] | |||
Louisiana | European honey bee (state insect) | Apis mellifera | 1977[23] | ||
Gulf fritillary (state butterfly) | Dione vanillae | 2022[24] | |||
Maine | European honey bee (state insect) | Apis mellifera | 1975[25] | ||
Pink-edged Sulphur (state butterfly) | Colias interior | 2023[26] | |||
Maryland | Euphydryas phaeton | 1973[27] | |||
Massachusetts | Family Coccinellidae | 1974[28] | |||
Minnesota | Monarch butterfly (state butterfly) | Danaus plexippus | 2000[29] | ||
Rusty patched bumblebee (state bee) | Bombus affinis | 2019[30] | |||
Mississippi | European honey bee (state insect) | Apis mellifera | 1980[31] | ||
Spicebush swallowtail (state butterfly) | Papilio troilus | 1991 | |||
Missouri | Apis mellifera | 1985[32] | |||
Montana | Mourning cloak butterfly (state butterfly) | Nymphalis antiopa | 2001[33] | ||
Nebraska | Apis mellifera | 1975[34] | |||
Nevada | Argia vivida | 2009[35] | |||
New Hampshire | 7-spotted ladybug (state insect) | Coccinella septempunctata | 1977[36] | ||
Karner blue butterfly (state butterfly) | Plebejus melissa samuelis | 1992 | |||
New Jersey | European honey bee (state bug) | Apis mellifera | 1974[37] | ||
Black swallowtail (state butterfly) | Papilio polyxenes | 2014[38] | |||
New Mexico | Tarantula hawk wasp (state insect) | Pepsis grossa | 1989[39] | ||
Sandia hairstreak (state butterfly) | Callophrys mcfarlandi | 2003[40] | |||
New York | Coccinella novemnotata | 1989[41] | |||
North Carolina | European honey bee (state insect) | Apis mellifera | 1973[42] | ||
Eastern tiger swallowtail (state butterfly) | Papilio glaucus | 2012[43] | |||
North Dakota | Hippodamia convergens | 2011[44] | |||
Ohio | Family Coccinellidae | 1975[45] | |||
Oklahoma | European honey bee (state insect) | Apis mellifera | 1992[46] | ||
Black swallowtail (state butterfly) | Papilio polyxenes | 1996 | |||
Oregon | Papilio oregonius | 1979[47] | |||
Pennsylvania | Photuris pennsylvanica | 1974[48] | |||
Rhode Island | Nicrophorus americanus | 2015[49] | |||
South Carolina | Carolina mantis (state insect) | Stagmomantis carolina | 1988[50] | ||
Eastern tiger swallowtail (state butterfly) | Papilio glaucus | 1994[51] | |||
South Dakota | Apis mellifera | 1978[52] | |||
Tennessee | Common eastern firefly (state insect) | Photinus pyralis | 1975[53] | ||
7-spotted ladybug (state insect) | Coccinella septempunctata | 1975 | |||
European honey bee (state agricultural insect) | Apis mellifera | 1990 | |||
Zebra swallowtail (state butterfly) | Eurytides marcellus | 1995 | |||
Texas | Danaus plexippus | 1995[54] | |||
Utah | Apis mellifera | 1983[55] | |||
Vermont | European honey bee (state insect) | Apis mellifera | 1978[56] | ||
Monarch butterfly (state butterfly) | Danaus plexippus | 1987[57] | |||
Virginia | Papilio glaucus | [58] | |||
Washington | Anax junius | 1997[59] | |||
West Virginia | European honey bee (state insect) | Apis mellifera | 2002[60] | ||
Monarch butterfly (state butterfly) | Danaus plexippus | 1995[61] | |||
Wisconsin | Apis mellifera | 1977[62] | |||
Wyoming | Callophrys sheridanii | 2009[63] | |||