48 states in the United States have officially designated State Insects.
Alabama Monarch Butterfly and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Alaska Four-spot Skimmer Dragonfly
Arizona Two-tailed Swallowtail Butterfly
Arkansas Honey Bee
California California Dogface Butterfly
Colorado Colorado Hairstreak Butterfly
Connecticut European Praying Mantis
Delaware Convergent Ladybug Beetle and Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Dist. of Col. None
Florida Zebra Longwing Butterfly
Georgia Honey Bee and Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Hawaii Pulelehua (Kamehameha butterfly)
Idaho Monarch Butterfly
Illinois Monarch Butterfly
Indiana Say's Firefly
Iowa None
Kansas Honey Bee
Kentucky Viceroy Butterfly
Louisiana Honey Bee
Maine Honey Bee
Maryland Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly
Massachusetts Ladybug Beetle
Michigan None
Minnesota Monarch Butterfly
Mississippi Honey Bee and Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly
Missouri Honey Bee
Montana Mourning Cloak
Nebraska Honey Bee
Nevada Vivid Dancer Damselfly
New Hampshire Two-spotted Ladybug Beetle and Karner Blue Butterfly
New Jersey Honey Bee
New Mexico Tarantula Hawk Wasp
New York Nine-spotted Ladybird Beetle
North Carolina Honey Bee
North Dakota Convergent Lady Beetle (Lady Bug)
Ohio Ladybug Beetle
Oklahoma Honey Bee and Black Swallowtail Butterfly
Oregon Oregon Swallowtail Butterfly
Pennsylvania Firefly Beetle
Rhode Island American Burying Beetle
South Carolina Carolina Mantid and Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
South Dakota Honey Bee
Tennessee Firefly Beetle; Ladybug Beetle; Honey Bee (agricultural insect); and Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly
Texas Monarch Butterfly
Utah Honey Bee
Vermont Honey Bee and Monarch Butterfly
Virginia Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Washington Green Darner Dragonfly
West Virginia Monarch Butterfly
Wisconsin Honey Bee
Wyoming Sheridan's Green Hairstreak
Note: California was the first state of the United States to select a state insect. The Dogface Butterfly, Zerene eurydice, was officially adopted as the state insect of California in 1929. This was the result of a statewide poll of all the active entomologists in the state, responding to the Lorquin Entomological Society of Los Angeles.
Selected References: Gunder, J. D. 1929. A state butterfly for California. Pan-Pacific Entomologist, Volume 6, number 2.
Prepared by the Department of Systematic Biology, Entomology Section,
National Museum of Natural History, in cooperation with Public Inquiry Services, Smithsonian Institution
Information Sheet Number 158.
Revised 04/19
