Each US state has symbols representing their natural resources and cultural heritage, including flags, flowers, birds, seals, and animals. Many states have adopted an official state bug, with the bee being the most popular. Monarch butterflies and ladybugs are also popular, and some states have multiple insect categories. Delaware is the only state with a macroinvertebrate symbol, and South Carolina has an official state spider. Most symbols were voted on by state legislators after lobbying by schoolchildren who studied insects.
Each state in the United States has adopted various symbols to represent their natural resources and cultural heritage. These symbols include flags, flowers, birds, seals and animals. Most states have also adopted an official state bug.
In 1929, California designated the dogface butterfly as its state insect, becoming the first state to adopt an insect as an official symbol. Since then, several states have designated various butterflies and other insects as their symbols. Some states have multiple state bugs and multiple categories. For example, Delaware has adopted a state butterfly, a state insect, and a state macroinvertebrate.
Delaware is the only state to have a macroinvertebrate as a symbol. The stonefly was selected to indicate Delaware’s superior water quality. Another state that has multiple insect categories is Tennessee, which has one state butterfly, two state insects, and one state agricultural insect.
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Vermont, and West Virginia all have both a state butterfly and a state bug. South Carolina has a state butterfly, an insect, and has also identified the wolf spider as the state spider. This is the largest spider in North America, and South Carolina is the only state to have an official state spider.
The most popular state insect is the bee. This hardworking insect has been designated a state bug by as many states. Besides producing honey, bees play a vital role in agriculture. They are responsible for pollinating a large number of crops. Plants and humans would not be able to survive without the vital contribution of the busy bee.
Monarch butterflies are another popular state insect. The monarch butterfly is the official state insect of Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, and Texas, and is the state butterfly of Minnesota, Vermont, and West Virginia. This colorful butterfly is migratory, and large numbers of people spend the warm months in these states and the winter in Florida, Mexico and South Texas.
Several states have adopted the ladybug as a state insect or state bug. Having a reputation for being a friendly insect, the ladybug is a beneficial insect that eats aphids that would otherwise destroy some crops. Other insects that have been adopted as state symbols include various types of butterflies, several dragonflies, the praying mantis, and a wasp. Most of the official insect symbols were voted on by state legislators after lobbying by classes of schoolchildren who had studied insects.
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