Louisiana is known for its swamps, alligators, and amazing food, but what about its insects? Well today, we are going to take a deep dive into the list of Louisisna things and determine the official insect that represents the state and its people. Also, we are going to talk about some of the other things that Louisiana is known for, as well as any other states that share the same official insects. Let’s get started!
The Official Louisiana State Insect
The official insect of the state of Louisiana is the humble honeybee.
The honeybee (Apis mellifera) is the official Louisiana state insect and has been since its adoption in 1977. Bees and their activities have played an instrumental part in shaping Louisiana into its current state. Not only this, but bee pollination is absolutely vital to the survival of plants, trees, and humans.
Honeybees are plentiful across the state and make for a great state insect that represents the hard-working nature of the citizens, plus the incredible value that comes from working together and acting as a team, just like a bee colony!
The History of Louisiana’s State Insect
The honeybee was officially adopted by the state of Louisiana in 1977.
©Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock.com
The honeybee became the official state insect of Louisiana in 1977, after a bill was introduced by Representative John C. Ensminger and passed by the legislature. The honeybee was chosen because of its vital role in the state’s economy and ecology. Louisiana is one of the top honey-producing states in the country, with over 500 beekeepers and 40,000 colonies of bees. The honeybee also pollinates many crops that are important to Louisiana, such as cotton, soybeans, fruits, and vegetables. Without the honeybee, Louisiana would lose millions of dollars in agricultural revenue and face real threats to its food security and biodiversity!
Without honeybees, Louisiana may not look like it does today, and it definitely wouldn’t have the same crops and flowers so readily available.
Honeybees In Louisiana
Without honeybees, important crops in Louisiana, like sweet potatoes and soybeans, wouldn’t be able to cross-pollinate and production would drastically drop.
©iStock.com/MahirAtes
Honeybees are not native to Louisiana, let alone America! They were brought here by European colonists in 1622 and quickly spread across the region. Despite their name, European honeybees probably didn’t originate in Europe, but somewhere in Africa or Asia. To date, honeybees live on every single continent besides Antarctica.
Currently, there are about 85 species of bees in Louisiana, but the honeybee is by far the most common. Additionally, they are the most important for the agriculture industry in the state. Honeybees live in colonies of nearly 100,000 individual insects. Within a single colony, there is usually one queen, a couple hundred drones, and the rest workers. As many people know, honeybees famously produce honey from nectar, while at the same time providing pollination services to many crops and plants that are important to Louisiana. Some of the most important crops for the state include cotton, soybeans, fruits, and vegetables.
Other State Plants and Animals
The
alligator
is, unsurprisingly, the state reptile of Louisiana.
©Deborah Ferrin/Shutterstock.com
Besides just the honeybee, Louisiana has a lot of other notable plants, animals, and food that they officially claim! Some of them are pretty obvious (like the crawfish and the alligator), but others aren’t as clear (looking at you, glass of milk). Regardless, there is a lot that the state has to offer, as it has one of the most unique climates and geographies of any state in the US!
- State Animal: The Black Bear
- State Bird: The Brown Pelican
- State Crustacean: The Crawfish
- State Dog: The Catahoula Leopard Dog
- State Fish: The White Perch
- State Flower: The Magnolia
- State Fossil: The Petrified Palmwood
- State Fruit: The Strawberry
- State Gemstone: The Agate
- State Insect: The Honeybee
- State Mammal: The Louisiana Milk Cow
- State Reptile: The Alligator
- State Tree: The Bald Cypress
- State Vegetable: The Sweet Potato
Other States with the Honeybee as the State Insect
Honeybees are EXTREMELY popular insects when it comes to official state representation. In fact, it is the most common state insect with a total of 17 states. It seems like honey and beeswax are important for a lot of people! Also, having a communal and hardworking insect to represent the people of a state is probably a pretty good thing. There could be insects that are a lot worse!
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
The photo featured at the top of this post is © Svetlanko/Shutterstock.com
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