Georgia designates official symbols to reflect its natural history, culture, and economic interests. The Georgia General Assembly selected a species that directly impacts the agricultural landscape and economy. The official State Insect of Georgia is the European Honey Bee, Apis mellifera. This designation recognizes the species for its profound commercial and ecological contributions, rather than its native status.
Formal Designation and Legislative History
The European Honey Bee was formally designated as Georgia’s official State Insect on April 18, 1975, through Senate Resolution No. 99. This legislative action was driven by the recognition of the insect’s economic value to the state’s agricultural industry. The resolution acknowledged that without the honey bee’s cross-pollination activities, the state would suffer significant crop losses.
The General Assembly noted that the honey bee is responsible for the pollination of more than 50 different crops grown in Georgia. This high volume of agricultural dependence highlighted the insect’s direct influence on the welfare of the state’s citizens and farmers. Additionally, the honey produced by the bees provides substantial income, adding to the economic significance of the designation.
Biological Characteristics and Role in the Ecosystem
The Apis mellifera is a highly social insect living in large, organized colonies that can contain up to 80,000 individuals within a single hive. The colony structure is divided into three distinct castes: a single queen, male drones, and tens of thousands of sterile female worker bees. Worker bees are the most commonly observed, characterized by their golden-brown and black abdominal stripes.
Worker bees forage, collecting nectar and pollen from flowering plants to sustain the colony. They use specialized structures on their hind legs called pollen baskets to transport the gathered pollen back to the hive. The honey bee’s ability to communicate the location of nectar sources through a “waggle dance” enhances its efficiency. This foraging behavior makes the honey bee an effective generalist pollinator for numerous Georgia crops. The species is instrumental in the production of high-value crops such as blueberries, peaches, and cotton.
Related Official State Arthropods
While the honey bee holds the title of State Insect, Georgia also recognizes the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) as its State Butterfly. Designated in 1988, this striking butterfly is a common sight across the eastern United States and in Georgia’s diverse habitats. The male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is recognizable by its yellow wings marked with four distinct black stripes on each forewing.
The state’s focus on the honey bee and the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail highlights the appreciation for both economically productive insects and naturally occurring, visually appealing species present in Georgia’s environment.