Twenty-six US states honour a butterfly as an official state symbol. Some designate a butterfly as state insect (Hawaii’s Kamehameha, Maryland’s Baltimore Checkerspot, Oregon’s Oregon Swallowtail, Virginia’s Eastern Tiger Swallowtail), others designate a butterfly specifically as state butterfly alongside a separate state insect (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Oklahoma and others chose a honey bee or similar as state insect and then added a butterfly as a separate state symbol), and a few states honour a butterfly in both categories. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is the most shared state butterfly, designated by seven states; the monarch is second with six.
California was the first, choosing the California Dogface butterfly as state insect in a 1929 entomologists’ poll (formally enacted in 1972). The earliest designation specifically as state butterfly came in 1987, when Vermont picked the monarch. A steady wave of state butterfly designations followed, most driven by elementary schoolchildren’s letter-writing campaigns to state legislators. The most recent additions include Delaware’s Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (2019) and Wyoming’s Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (2009).
This guide covers every US state butterfly in detail, including when each was adopted, the category of designation, what the species is like, and why each state chose it. For more state animal symbols, see our guides to state insects, state fish, state mammals, state marine mammals, state birds, state reptiles and state dog breeds.
Key facts about US state butterflies
- 26 US states honour a butterfly as an official state symbol (either as state insect, state butterfly, or both).
- First US state butterfly: California’s Dogface Butterfly, selected by entomologist poll in 1929 and formally adopted in 1972. First formal “state butterfly” category designation: Vermont’s monarch, 1987.
- Most recent additions: Delaware’s Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (2019) and Wyoming’s Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (2009).
- Most shared state butterfly: the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, shared by seven states (Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and also Delaware’s tiger swallowtail variant).
- Second most shared: the monarch, designated by six states (Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia).
- Most species-specific butterfly picks: New Hampshire’s federally endangered Karner Blue, Arizona’s Two-tailed Swallowtail (the largest butterfly in the American West), and Wyoming’s tiny Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak.
- State butterfly species that is federally endangered: New Hampshire’s Karner Blue (Lycaenidae family).
- State butterfly that feeds on a single host plant: Colorado Hairstreak (Gambel oak only), Tennessee’s Zebra Swallowtail (pawpaw only), Hawaii’s Kamehameha (mamaki only), New Hampshire’s Karner Blue (wild lupine only).
How States Pick Their Butterflies
State butterfly designations almost always come from one of two routes: a state legislator proposing a bill (often at the suggestion of an entomologist or a state lepidopterists’ society) or, more commonly, a sustained campaign by elementary and middle school students. Kids love butterflies, and state butterfly bills tend to get passed with strong bipartisan support because no one opposes them.
Three main rationales recur in state butterfly picks:
- Regional ecological identity. Arizona’s Two-tailed Swallowtail, Oregon’s Oregon Swallowtail, Wyoming’s Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak, and Hawaii’s Kamehameha all reflect species found primarily or exclusively in their home state.
- Iconic charisma. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and monarch dominate the list because they’re among the most immediately recognisable butterflies in North America, common in backyard gardens, and strongly associated with summer.
- Conservation messaging. New Hampshire picked the federally endangered Karner Blue specifically to raise the species’ profile. California’s Dogface, Maryland’s Baltimore Checkerspot, and Tennessee’s Zebra Swallowtail are all species of concern in their respective states.
Unlike state birds or state insects, state butterfly bills can drag on for years because of competing species nominations. Alabama, for example, had active lobbying for both the monarch and the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in the 1980s; the legislature eventually resolved it by designating both. Several states that have no state butterfly today (including Louisiana, Nevada and Indiana) have seen failed butterfly bills over the decades.
State Butterflies at a Glance
| State | State butterfly | Scientific name | Category | Year adopted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | State butterfly | 1989 |
| Alabama | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | State insect | 1989 |
| Arizona | Two-tailed Swallowtail | Papilio multicaudata | State butterfly | 2001 |
| California | California Dogface Butterfly | Zerene eurydice | State insect (and de facto state butterfly) | 1972 |
| Colorado | Colorado Hairstreak | Hypaurotis crysalus | State insect | 1996 |
| Delaware | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | State butterfly | 2019 |
| Florida | Zebra Longwing | Heliconius charithonia | State butterfly | 1996 |
| Georgia | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | State butterfly | 1988 |
| Hawaii | Kamehameha (Pulelehua) | Vanessa tameamea | State insect | 2009 |
| Idaho | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | State insect | 1992 |
| Illinois | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | State insect | 1975 |
| Kentucky | Viceroy | Limenitis archippus | State butterfly | 1990 |
| Maryland | Baltimore Checkerspot | Euphydryas phaeton | State insect | 1973 |
| Minnesota | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | State insect | 2000 |
| Mississippi | Spicebush Swallowtail | Papilio troilus | State butterfly | 1991 |
| Montana | Mourning Cloak | Nymphalis antiopa | State insect | 2001 |
| New Hampshire | Karner Blue | Plebejus melissa samuelis | State butterfly | 1992 |
| North Carolina | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | State butterfly | 2012 |
| Oklahoma | Black Swallowtail | Papilio polyxenes | State butterfly | 1996 |
| Oregon | Oregon Swallowtail | Papilio oregonius | State insect | 1979 |
| South Carolina | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | State butterfly | 1994 |
| Tennessee | Zebra Swallowtail | Protographium marcellus | State butterfly | 1995 |
| Texas | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | State insect | 1995 |
| Vermont | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | State butterfly | 1987 |
| Virginia | Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Papilio glaucus | State insect | 1991 |
| West Virginia | Monarch | Danaus plexippus | State butterfly | 1995 |
| Wyoming | Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak | Callophrys sheridanii | State butterfly | 2009 |
Most Shared US State Butterflies
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (7 states): Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia (indirectly). The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is arguably the most immediately recognisable large butterfly of the eastern US, with brilliant yellow wings and bold black tiger-striping.
- Monarch (6 states): Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia (Alabama has the Monarch as state insect, bringing the count higher). The monarch is the most iconic butterfly in North America, classified as Endangered by the IUCN in 2022.
- Swallowtails (13+ states with some Papilio species): The Papilionidae family dominates the state butterfly list. Beyond the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, states have picked the Two-tailed Swallowtail (Arizona), Black Swallowtail (Oklahoma), Oregon Swallowtail (Oregon), Spicebush Swallowtail (Mississippi), and Zebra Swallowtail (Tennessee).
- Hairstreaks and Blues (3 states): Colorado’s Hairstreak, New Hampshire’s Karner Blue, and Wyoming’s Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak all belong to the Lycaenidae (blues and hairstreaks) family, one of the smallest butterfly families on the state list.
- Brush-footed butterflies (several states): Montana’s Mourning Cloak, Maryland’s Baltimore Checkerspot, Kentucky’s Viceroy, and Florida’s Zebra Longwing all belong to the Nymphalidae family.
State Butterflies by Family
Swallowtails (Papilionidae)
The swallowtail family dominates US state butterfly designations. Named for the long tail-like projections on the hindwings, swallowtails are among the largest and most visually striking US butterflies. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (7 states), Two-tailed Swallowtail (Arizona), Oregon Swallowtail (Oregon), Spicebush Swallowtail (Mississippi), Black Swallowtail (Oklahoma), and Zebra Swallowtail (Tennessee) all belong to this family. Swallowtail caterpillars defend themselves with an inflatable orange “horn” called an osmeterium that releases a foul-smelling chemical to deter predators.
Brush-footed butterflies (Nymphalidae)
The largest butterfly family by species count globally, Nymphalidae includes several US state symbols: the monarch (6 states), mourning cloak (Montana), Baltimore checkerspot (Maryland), Kamehameha (Hawaii), zebra longwing (Florida), and viceroy (Kentucky). Brush-footed butterflies are distinguished by their reduced, brush-like front pair of legs (they effectively walk on four legs rather than six). Many are migratory or long-lived adults that overwinter in temperate climates.
Whites, sulphurs and dogfaces (Pieridae)
California’s Dogface is the only US state butterfly from the Pieridae family, which includes the common cabbage whites and sulphurs. Pierids are often pigmented with pterins, a class of nitrogenous pigments unique to this family among butterflies, which give them their characteristic yellow, white, orange and red colours.
Hairstreaks and blues (Lycaenidae)
Three states picked butterflies from the Lycaenidae family: Colorado (Hairstreak), New Hampshire (Karner Blue), and Wyoming (Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak). Lycaenids are the smallest major butterfly family on the state list, with delicate, often brilliant iridescent colouring. Many have larvae with symbiotic relationships with ants, which protect the caterpillars in exchange for sugary secretions from specialised glands.
The complete state-by-state guide
Alabama, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and Monarch
Alabama designated both the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) as state butterfly and the monarch (Danaus plexippus) as state insect, both in 1989. The dual designation came after competing school campaigns pushed for different species, and the legislature resolved the conflict by designating both. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails are large (7-14 cm wingspan) yellow butterflies with bold black tiger stripes on each forewing; they’re common across Alabama’s hardwood forests and gardens. Monarchs pass through Alabama twice a year on their migration route between Mexican wintering grounds and the northern US.
Arizona, Two-tailed Swallowtail
Arizona designated the Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata) as state butterfly in 2001. It’s the largest butterfly in the American West with wingspans of 13-15 cm, with bright yellow wings striped in black and two tails extending from each hindwing rather than the usual one. Two-tailed Swallowtails are most visible in Arizona’s riparian canyons during summer, where they’re among the few butterflies strong enough to fly across long desert distances between water sources. Arizona elementary schoolchildren lobbied for years before the designation was finally passed.
California, California Dogface Butterfly
California was the first US state to recognise a state butterfly. The California Dogface (Zerene eurydice) was chosen by a statewide poll of entomologists organised by the Lorquin Entomological Society of Los Angeles in 1929; it was formally adopted by state law in 1972. The species is named for the distinctive pattern on its yellow wings, which looks strikingly like the silhouette of a poodle’s face. California Dogface occurs only in California, from the Coast Ranges to the Sierra foothills, and feeds exclusively on false indigo plants in the pea family.
Colorado, Colorado Hairstreak
Colorado designated the Colorado Hairstreak (Hypaurotis crysalus) as state insect in 1996 after a statewide schoolchildren’s vote. The species is dusky purple with orange spots, lives exclusively in Gambel oak habitats of the Colorado foothills, and is rarely seen despite being relatively common, spending most of its day resting in the oak canopy and only descending to visit flowers near dawn and dusk. The larval stage feeds exclusively on Gambel oak leaves, making the butterfly completely dependent on this single host plant. It’s the only US state butterfly whose entire life cycle is tied to a single oak species.
Delaware, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Delaware designated the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail as state butterfly in 2019, making it the most recent US state butterfly designation. The choice came alongside Delaware’s earlier state insect designation, the convergent ladybug (1974), with the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail providing a complementary butterfly-specific state symbol. Delaware schoolchildren at Campus Community School in Dover pushed the designation alongside their successful lobbying for the Golden Retriever as state dog in 2016.
Florida, Zebra Longwing
Florida designated the Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia) as state butterfly in 1996. It’s a striking jet-black butterfly with bright yellow striping across elongated wings, giving it an almost tropical appearance that matches Florida’s landscape. Zebra Longwings have several extraordinary traits: they live remarkably long for butterflies (up to 6 months), they roost communally in groups of up to 60, and they are the only butterflies in North America known to feed on pollen as well as nectar, which gives them a protein boost that likely extends their lives. They’re most common in the hammock forests of south Florida.
Georgia, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Georgia designated the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail as state butterfly in 1988, twelve years before officially adopting the honey bee as state insect. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is unmistakably yellow with four black tiger stripes on each forewing. Females come in two colour forms: yellow like the male, and an all-black form that mimics the foul-tasting pipevine swallowtail, conferring some protection from predators through mimicry. Georgia was one of the first US states to formally designate a state butterfly as a category distinct from state insect, setting a template many states later followed.
Hawaii, Kamehameha Butterfly (Pulelehua)
Hawaii designated the Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa tameamea), known in Hawaiian as Pulelehua, as state insect in 2009. It’s one of only two butterfly species native to Hawaii (the other is the Blackburn’s Blue) and is named after Kamehameha I, who unified the Hawaiian islands in the early 1800s. The butterfly is orange and brown with white spots on the forewing tips, and its caterpillars feed exclusively on native Hawaiian mamaki plants. As Hawaiian lowland forests have been converted to agriculture and urban development, Kamehameha butterfly populations have declined sharply, and the species is now rare on most islands.
Idaho, Monarch
Idaho designated the monarch (Danaus plexippus) as state insect in 1992. Idaho sits along the western monarch migration route, with populations wintering in coastal California and spreading east through Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and Washington in summer. Western monarch populations have collapsed dramatically since the 1990s, from several million to fewer than 30,000 most years, making Idaho’s state butterfly one of the most endangered on the list despite its former abundance. Recent population surveys suggest partial recovery but remain far below historic levels.
Illinois, Monarch
Illinois designated the monarch as state insect in 1975 after a state-wide vote by Illinois schoolchildren organised by the Illinois Press Association. Illinois sits squarely in the heart of the eastern monarch migration route, and a central Illinois prairie in summer can host thousands of monarchs feeding on goldenrod and milkweed. The eastern migratory monarchs have declined by roughly 80% since the 1990s and in 2022 were classified by the IUCN as Endangered. Illinois’s monarch pick brought the species to six other states over the following decades.
Kentucky, Viceroy
Kentucky designated the viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) in 1990. Viceroys are one of the great examples of Batesian mimicry in the insect world: they look virtually identical to monarchs (orange with black veins and white-spotted black borders), but are a different species entirely in a different butterfly family. Historically the viceroy was thought to be an edible mimic of the toxic monarch, but more recent studies suggest both species are moderately toxic, making the relationship Müllerian rather than Batesian mimicry. Viceroys have a distinctive flight pattern, alternating flapping and gliding, which expert observers can spot across a field.
Maryland, Baltimore Checkerspot
Maryland designated the Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) as state insect in 1973, one of the earliest state butterfly designations. The species is named after the heraldic colours of the Calvert family (founders of the Maryland colony) and shares its name with both Maryland’s state bird (Baltimore Oriole) and the MLB team. Baltimore Checkerspots are medium-sized butterflies with orange and white checkered patterning on dark wings. They breed in Maryland’s wet meadows, feeding on white turtlehead plants. Populations have declined sharply with wetland drainage, and the state now considers the Baltimore Checkerspot a conservation priority species.
Minnesota, Monarch
Minnesota designated the monarch as state insect in 2000. Monarchs migrate through Minnesota each summer as they move from their Mexican wintering grounds to breeding sites across the Great Lakes region. The timing of the Minnesota migration is so reliable that the first monarch sightings of the year are a traditional marker of spring arrival in the state. Minnesota’s Blue Butterfly Conservancy and “Monarch Highway” initiatives have made the state a hub for pollinator corridor restoration along the interstate system, an effort explicitly tied to the state butterfly.
Mississippi, Spicebush Swallowtail
Mississippi designated the Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) as state butterfly in 1991, alongside the honey bee as state insect (1980). The Spicebush Swallowtail is a mid-sized black butterfly with striking blue iridescence on the hindwings; it’s named for its caterpillar’s preferred host plant, the spicebush shrub. The caterpillars are famous for resembling a tiny green snake, complete with fake eyespots, a defense against bird predators. Mississippi’s forests and swamps are excellent habitat for the species, which is common across the state.
Montana, Mourning Cloak
Montana designated the Mourning Cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) as state insect in 2001. It’s one of only two butterflies in Montana that overwinter as adults rather than as eggs, larvae or pupae. Mourning Cloaks tuck themselves into tree bark crevices or log piles, produce their own natural antifreeze, and emerge on warm days in late winter long before any other butterfly is flying. Montana residents often see them on the first warm days of March, flitting across snowbanks. The name refers to the wings’ dark, velvety maroon colour with pale yellow edges, reminiscent of a traditional mourning cloak.
New Hampshire, Karner Blue
New Hampshire designated the Karner Blue butterfly (Plebejus melissa samuelis) as state butterfly in 1992. The Karner Blue is federally endangered, a small brilliantly blue butterfly whose caterpillars feed exclusively on wild lupine, which has largely disappeared from its historical range. The species is named for Karner, New York, where it was first studied in the 1930s by novelist Vladimir Nabokov, who was also a serious lepidopterist. New Hampshire’s state butterfly designation was explicitly a conservation statement. The state’s remaining Karner Blue populations, concentrated in the Concord Pine Barrens, are among the most important in the US.
North Carolina, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
North Carolina designated the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail as state butterfly in 2012, joining five other states with the same designation. North Carolina’s hardwood forests, particularly in the Appalachians and Piedmont, are excellent Eastern Tiger Swallowtail habitat, with sightings possible from spring through early autumn. Females can be either yellow (typical) or all-black (mimicking the toxic pipevine swallowtail); the black morph is more common in the southern US including North Carolina.
Oklahoma, Black Swallowtail
Oklahoma designated the Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) as state butterfly in 1996, alongside the earlier honey bee as state insect (1992). Black Swallowtails are among the most adaptable butterflies in the US; their caterpillars feed on plants in the carrot family (including carrots, dill and parsley), which makes them common in Oklahoma gardens as well as in the wild. The caterpillars are striking: green with black bands and yellow spots, and they have an inflatable orange “horn” (called an osmeterium) that produces a foul smell to deter predators.
Oregon, Oregon Swallowtail
Oregon designated the Oregon Swallowtail (Papilio oregonius) as state insect in 1979. It’s a close relative of the anise swallowtail but lives specifically in the dry sagebrush country of eastern Oregon, Washington and neighbouring states; it’s not found west of the Cascade crest. The caterpillars feed on desert sagebrush tarragon, a tough host plant that has limited the butterfly’s range. The Oregon Swallowtail is yellow with black tiger-style striping, very similar at first glance to the more widespread Tiger Swallowtail but smaller and more fluttery in flight.
South Carolina, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
South Carolina designated the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail as state butterfly in 1994, alongside the Carolina Mantid as state insect (1988). South Carolina was one of the earliest states to designate a state butterfly distinct from state insect, choosing the most immediately recognisable large butterfly of the eastern US. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails are abundant in South Carolina from spring through autumn, with three broods per year in the warmer southern part of the state.
Tennessee, Zebra Swallowtail
Tennessee designated the Zebra Swallowtail (Protographium marcellus) as state butterfly in 1995, one of four state insect designations (alongside firefly, ladybug and honey bee as state agricultural insect). The Zebra Swallowtail is especially striking: white with bold black tiger striping, long tails, and touches of red and blue on the hindwing margins. It feeds exclusively on pawpaw trees, which are common in the Tennessee hill country, and is one of the few American butterflies to depend on a single host plant genus for its entire life cycle.
Texas, Monarch
Texas designated the monarch as state insect in 1995. Every eastern monarch butterfly passes through Texas on its way from Mexico to summer breeding grounds, making Texas a critical corridor state for the species. The annual monarch migration through Texas in September and October is a spectacular phenomenon, with millions of butterflies concentrating in the hill country around San Antonio and Austin. The collapse of the eastern migratory population since the 1990s, from over a billion butterflies to around 100 million, is one of the most documented insect declines in US history.
Vermont, Monarch
Vermont designated the monarch as state butterfly in 1987, making it the first formal “state butterfly” designation in the US (separate from state insect, which Vermont also has: the honey bee, 1978). Vermont monarchs migrate south through the Hudson Valley and then across the central US to Mexican wintering grounds each autumn. Vermont’s designation helped establish the pattern of states designating both a state insect and a state butterfly, a model that eight other states later followed.
Virginia, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Virginia designated the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail as state insect in 1991, making Virginia one of the few US states where a butterfly serves as the single state insect designation. The species is a fixture of Virginia’s gardens, farms and deciduous forests from spring through autumn. Virginia’s Tiger Swallowtails have three broods per year in the southern part of the state, more than most swallowtail populations elsewhere, which keeps the butterfly visible throughout summer and early autumn. The black-form females (a melanistic variant that mimics the toxic pipevine swallowtail) are more common in Virginia than in northern states.
West Virginia, Monarch
West Virginia designated the monarch butterfly as state butterfly in 1995 (it has no state insect designation). West Virginia lies along the eastern monarch migration corridor, and the Kanawha Valley and Monongahela National Forest are important rest stops for monarchs on their autumn journey. The species represents something of a conservation dilemma in West Virginia: despite its symbolic status, milkweed (the monarch caterpillar’s only food plant) has declined dramatically due to roadside mowing and herbicide use along farm edges.
Wyoming, Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak
Wyoming designated Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridanii) as state butterfly in 2009. It’s a small, bright emerald-green butterfly, one of the only US butterflies that is genuinely green on both wing surfaces, named after Civil War general Philip Sheridan, who collected specimens during his western campaigns in the 1870s. The species breeds on sulphur-flower buckwheat across Wyoming’s sagebrush plains and foothills. Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak is rarely seen because of its small size (wingspan 2-2.5 cm) and habit of holding its wings tightly closed when perched, making the green underside its only visible colour.
US States Without a State Butterfly
Approximately 24 US states have no state butterfly or butterfly-equivalent state insect designation. This includes Alaska (state insect is a dragonfly), Connecticut (praying mantis), Kansas and most honey-bee states where the state insect is not a butterfly. Louisiana, Indiana, Nevada, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Washington have seen state butterfly bills proposed and fail, typically because of competing nominations between multiple candidate species. The District of Columbia, Michigan and Iowa have no state insect of any kind, so naturally no state butterfly either.
Notable firsts and quirky facts about US state butterflies
- First state butterfly (informal): California’s Dogface, chosen by 1929 entomologists’ poll, formally adopted by state law in 1972.
- First formal state butterfly designation (distinct from state insect): Vermont’s monarch, 1987.
- Most recent: Delaware’s Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (2019). Wyoming’s Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (2009) was second most recent.
- Most shared state butterfly: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (7 states).
- Only state butterfly that is federally endangered: New Hampshire’s Karner Blue.
- Only state butterfly named for a US military general: Wyoming’s Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (Philip Sheridan).
- Only state butterfly named for a Hawaiian king: Hawaii’s Kamehameha butterfly.
- State butterfly species with a genuinely green underside: Wyoming’s Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (almost unique among US butterflies).
- State butterflies dependent on a single host plant species: Colorado Hairstreak (Gambel oak), Tennessee’s Zebra Swallowtail (pawpaw), Hawaii’s Kamehameha (mamaki), New Hampshire’s Karner Blue (wild lupine), California’s Dogface (false indigo).
- State butterflies that overwinter as adults (rare for insects): Montana’s Mourning Cloak.
- State butterflies that feed on pollen: Florida’s Zebra Longwing (the only North American butterfly known to eat pollen, which extends its lifespan dramatically).
- State butterflies studied by Vladimir Nabokov: New Hampshire’s Karner Blue.
Frequently Asked Questions About US State Butterflies
How many US states have a state butterfly?
26 US states honour a butterfly as an official state symbol, either as state butterfly, state insect, or both. States that designate butterflies specifically as “state butterfly” (distinct from state insect) include Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Which state was the first to pick a state butterfly?
California’s Dogface Butterfly was the first butterfly designated as a state symbol, chosen by entomologists in 1929 and formally adopted by state law in 1972. Vermont’s monarch (1987) was the first butterfly designated specifically as “state butterfly” (separate from state insect).
What is the most common US state butterfly?
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is the most shared state butterfly, designated by seven states: Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and effectively West Virginia. The monarch is second, designated by six states (Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia).
What’s the difference between a state butterfly and a state insect?
Some states designate a butterfly specifically as state butterfly (a distinct category from state insect, often to complement a non-butterfly state insect like a honey bee or beetle). Other states designate a butterfly as their state insect directly, with no separate state butterfly designation. And a few states (California, Tennessee) effectively have butterflies in both categories. For the complete picture of US state insect designations, see our state insects guide.
Which state butterflies are endangered?
New Hampshire’s Karner Blue is the only federally endangered state butterfly. The monarch butterfly (state symbol of six states) was classified as Endangered by the IUCN in 2022. Maryland’s Baltimore Checkerspot, Massachusetts’s nine-spotted ladybug, Alabama’s Monarch designation and several other state butterflies represent species in steep decline within their home states.
What’s the only state with a butterfly that feeds on pollen?
Florida’s Zebra Longwing is the only US state butterfly known to feed on pollen in addition to nectar. This pollen-eating habit gives them a protein boost that extends their adult lifespan to up to six months, far longer than most butterflies. Most North American butterflies live only 2-6 weeks as adults.
Can a state have multiple state butterflies?
Alabama has two officially designated butterfly-related symbols (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail as state butterfly and Monarch as state insect). Tennessee has four state insect designations, one of which is the Zebra Swallowtail as state butterfly. No US state has more than two formally designated butterfly-related state symbols.
Which state butterfly has the most limited range?
New Hampshire’s Karner Blue, Colorado’s Hairstreak, Hawaii’s Kamehameha, California’s Dogface, and Oregon’s Oregon Swallowtail are all among the most geographically restricted US state butterflies. Each is dependent on specific host plants with limited ranges. New Hampshire’s Karner Blue is federally endangered partly because of its extreme habitat specificity.
What’s the largest US state butterfly?
Arizona’s Two-tailed Swallowtail is the largest, with wingspans reaching 13-15 cm. Eastern Tiger Swallowtails (the most shared state butterfly, 7 states) reach 7-14 cm wingspan. Oregon Swallowtails and Spicebush Swallowtails are slightly smaller. Wyoming’s Sheridan’s Green Hairstreak (wingspan 2-2.5 cm) is the smallest US state butterfly.
Which state butterflies overwinter as adults?
Montana’s Mourning Cloak is the only US state butterfly known to routinely overwinter as an adult, tucked into tree bark crevices and log piles, producing natural antifreeze to survive sub-zero Montana winters. Mourning Cloaks are often the first butterflies seen flying in early spring as they emerge from winter shelter.
Explore more US state symbols: state insects, state fish, state mammals, state marine mammals, state birds, state reptiles, state dog breeds. Or explore our butterflies hub, butterfly anatomy, butterfly life cycle and butterfly families guides.