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Official State Butterflies

This page offers a list of only those insect symbols that were officially adopted as state butterflies.

The Insect categories option below offers lists by specific official designation. The Insects specifically list shows only those insects that were officially designated as official insects. The butterflies specifically list shows only those that were designated as official butterflies. The Bugs specifically list shows only those that were designated as official bugs.

Official butterflies listed by adoption year. (List by state or year)
State Name Designated as YearList by adoption year
Delaware Tiger Swallowtail Official butterfly 1974
Vermont Monarch Butterfly State butterfly 1987
Georgia Tiger Swallowtail Official Georgia State butterfly 1988
Alabama Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Official mascot and butterfly 1989
Kentucky Viceroy Butterfly State butterfly 1990
Mississippi Spicebush Swallowtail State butterfly 1991
New Hampshire Karner Blue Butterfly Official State butterfly 1992
South Carolina Tiger Swallowtail Official butterfly 1994
Tennessee Zebra Swallowtail Official State butterfly 1994
West Virginia Monarch Butterfly Official State butterfly 1995
Florida Zebra Longwing Official State butterfly 1996
Oklahoma Black Swallowtail State butterfly 1996
Minnesota Monarch Butterfly Official butterfly 2000
Arizona Two-tailed Swallowtail Official State butterfly 2001
Montana Mourning Cloak Official Montana State butterfly 2001
New Mexico Sandia Hairstreak Official butterfly of New Mexico 2003
Arkansas Diana fritillary butterfly Official butterfly 2007
Wyoming Sheridan's Green Hairstreak Official State butterfly 2009
North Carolina Eastern tiger swallowtail Official State butterfly 2012
New Jersey Black swallowtail butterfly (Papilio polyxenes) State butterfly 2016
Alaska [ None ]    
California [ None ]    
Colorado [ None ]    
Connecticut [ None ]    
Hawaii [ None ]    
Idaho [ None ]    
Illinois [ None ]    
Indiana [ None ]    
Iowa [ None ]    
Kansas [ None ]    
Louisiana [ None ]    
Maine [ None ]    
Maryland [ None ]    
Massachusetts [ None ]    
Michigan [ None ]    
Missouri [ None ]    
Nebraska [ None ]    
Nevada [ None ]    
New York [ None ]    
North Dakota [ None ]    
Ohio [ None ]    
Oregon [ None ]    
Pennsylvania [ None ]    
Rhode Island [ None ]    
South Dakota [ None ]    
Texas [ None ]    
Utah [ None ]    
Virginia [ None ]    
Washington [ None ]    
Wisconsin [ None ]    
1st place ribbon What butterfly holds top honors as the most popular among the 50 states? If you guessed that it was Oklahoma's black swallowtail butterfly you would be wrong. If you found that it was the tiger swallowtail, you would be right. Five states have adopted the tiger swallowtail as their official state butterfly. Virginia adopted the tiger swallowtail as their official state insect.
2nd place ribbon A close second, the monarch butterfly makes a strong showing with three states claiming this popular insect as their official state butterfly. Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, and Texas have adopted the monarch butterfly as their official state insect.
3rd place ribbon Each of the other official state butterflies is unique to only one state.
Asterisk symbol 29 butterflies have been adopted by the states as official. 19 have been adopted as "butterflies." Another ten states have adopted butterflies as official state "insects." Those butterflies, adopted as insects, are listed on the State Insects page and the "Insects" only page.
Simon & Schuster Children's Guide to Insects and Spiders
Children's Guide to
Insects and Spiders

Jinny Johnson

Simon & Schuster Children's Guide to Insects and Spiders , by Jinny Johnson. 64 pages. Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (May 1, 1997) Reading level: Ages 4-8.

A detailed introduction to spiders and insects contains information about every major group of arachnids and insects, hundreds of thought-provoking facts, and full-color pictures and photographs."

Insect
Insect
Laurence Mound

Insect, by Laurence Mound. 72 pages. Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc. (June 25, 2007) Reading level: Ages 8+.

Full-color photos. "Sure to attract browsers and students researching assignments, Insect explores the anatomy, behavior, and ecology of those creatures, with a heavy emphasis on popular species. Each double-page spread consists of concise, yet lively and readable text and numerous excellent-quality captioned photos, drawings, and diagrams." --School Library Journal

Butterflies
Butterflies
Seymour Simon

Butterflies, by Seymour Simon. 32 pages. Publisher: Collins (August 23, 2011) Reading level: Ages 5+.

Learn where to find butterflies and moths, how to observe them in nature, and how to plant your very own butterfly garden!

Award-winning science writer Seymour Simon invites readers to explore the world of butterflies and moths with fascinating facts and stunning full-color photographs.

National Geographic's Great Migrations: Butterflies
Great Migrations
Butterflies

Laura Marsh

National Geographic's Great Migrations: Butterflies, by Laura Marsh. 48 pages. Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (October 12, 2010) Reading level: Ages 7+.

The monarch butterfly, one of the most seemingly delicate of all of nature’s animals, proves to be one of the toughest in this reader. Making the yearly trip from the Northern United States and Canada to the Oyamel forest of Mexico is no easy task, and it takes five generations of butterflies in order to do so. Battling cold temperatures and the threat of starvation, these beautiful insects complete an almost 3,000 mile journey over the course of two months, only to have to turn and around and head back home.

National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Butterflies Of North America

National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Butterflies Of North America, Revision authors are James D. Williams and Carter R. Gilbert. 192 pages. Publisher: Knopf (July 21, 1990)

Filled with succinct descriptions and dazzling photographs, the National Audubon Society Pocket Guide to Familiar Butterflies of North America is designed to be compact enough for nature-lovers to easily bring along when observing butterflies. This streamlined volume contains: a simple field guide identifying 80 of the most widespread butterflies in North America and a complete overview of observing butterflies, covering basic identifying field marks and practical tips for observing and distinguishing different butterflies.

This pocket guide is packed with information; bright photographs capturing the butterflies perched with their wings spread and closed; specific descriptions of each species' important identifying characteristics, life cycle, habitat and range, line drawings depicting the basic butterfly anatomy, a description of major butterfly groups and a glossary of technical terms.