List of U.S. state insects

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.

Table

State State insect Binomial
name
Image Year
Alabama Monarch butterfly
(state insect)
Danaus plexippus 1989
Queen honey bee
(state agricultural insect)
Apis mellifera 2005
Eastern tiger swallowtail
(state butterfly and mascot)
Papilio glaucus 1989
Alaska Four-spotted skimmer dragonfly Libellula quadrimaculata 1995
Arizona Two-tailed swallowtail
(state butterfly)
Papilio multicaudata 2001
Arkansas European honey bee
(state insect)
Apis mellifera 1973
Diana fritillary butterfly
(state butterfly)
Speyeria diana 2007
California California dogface butterfly

(state butterfly)

Zerene eurydice 1972
Colorado Colorado hairstreak Hypaurotis crysalus 1996
Connecticut European mantis Mantis religiosa 1977
Delaware 7-spotted ladybug
(state bug)
Coccinella septempunctata 1974
Eastern tiger swallowtail
(state butterfly)
Papilio glaucus 1999
Stonefly
(state macroinvertebrate)
Order Plecoptera 2005
Florida Zebra longwing
(state butterfly)
Heliconius charitonius 1996
Georgia European honey bee
(state insect)
Apis mellifera 1975
Eastern tiger swallowtail
(state butterfly)
Papilio glaucus 1988
Hawaii Kamehameha butterfly Vanessa tameamea 2009
Idaho Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus 1992
Illinois Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus 1975
Indiana Say's firefly Pyractomena angulata 2018
Kansas European honey bee Apis mellifera 1976
Kentucky European honey bee
(state agricultural insect)
Apis mellifera 2010
Viceroy butterfly
(state butterfly)
Limenitis archippus 1990
Louisiana European honey bee (state insect) Apis mellifera 1977
Gulf fritillary (state butterfly) Dione vanillae Large orange butterfly with large white spots bordered in black, nectaring on small purple flowers 2022
Maine European honey bee (state insect) Apis mellifera 1975
Pink-edged Sulphur (state butterfly) Colias interior 2023
Maryland Baltimore checkerspot butterfly Euphydryas phaeton 1973
Massachusetts Ladybug Family Coccinellidae 1974
Minnesota Monarch butterfly
(state butterfly)
Danaus plexippus 2000
Rusty patched bumblebee
(state bee)
Bombus affinis A closeup of a yellow and black bee head on, against a black backdrop 2019
Mississippi European honey bee
(state insect)
Apis mellifera 1980
Spicebush swallowtail
(state butterfly)
Papilio troilus 1991
Missouri European honey bee Apis mellifera 1985
Montana Mourning cloak butterfly
(state butterfly)
Nymphalis antiopa 2001
Nebraska European honey bee Apis mellifera 1975
Nevada Vivid dancer damselfly Argia vivida 2009
New Hampshire 7-spotted ladybug
(state insect)
Coccinella septempunctata 1977
Karner blue butterfly
(state butterfly)
Plebejus melissa samuelis 1992
New Jersey European honey bee
(state bug)
Apis mellifera 1974
Black swallowtail
(state butterfly)
Papilio polyxenes 2014
New Mexico Tarantula hawk wasp
(state insect)
Pepsis grossa 1989
Sandia hairstreak
(state butterfly)
Callophrys mcfarlandi 2003
New York 9-spotted ladybug Coccinella novemnotata 1989
North Carolina European honey bee
(state insect)
Apis mellifera 1973
Eastern tiger swallowtail
(state butterfly)
Papilio glaucus 2012
North Dakota Convergent lady beetle Hippodamia convergens 2011
Ohio Ladybug Family Coccinellidae 1975
Oklahoma European honey bee
(state insect)
Apis mellifera 1992
Black swallowtail
(state butterfly)
Papilio polyxenes 1996
Oregon Oregon swallowtail Papilio oregonius 1979
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania firefly Photuris pennsylvanica 1974
Rhode Island American burying beetle Nicrophorus americanus 2015
South Carolina Carolina mantis
(state insect)
Stagmomantis carolina 1988
Eastern tiger swallowtail
(state butterfly)
Papilio glaucus 1994
South Dakota European honey bee Apis mellifera 1978
Tennessee Common eastern firefly
(state insect)
Photinus pyralis 1975
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 Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus 1995
Utah European honey bee Apis mellifera 1983
Vermont European honey bee
(state insect)
Apis mellifera 1978
Monarch butterfly
(state butterfly)
Danaus plexippus 1987
Virginia Eastern tiger swallowtail Papilio glaucus
Washington Green darner dragonfly Anax junius 1997
West Virginia European honey bee
(state insect)
Apis mellifera 2002
Monarch butterfly
(state butterfly)
Danaus plexippus 1995
Wisconsin European honey bee Apis mellifera 1977
Wyoming Sheridan's green hairstreak Callophrys sheridanii 2009

See also