Local School Group Encourages Michigan to Designate First Official State Insect

Currently Michigan is only one of two states that does not have an official state insect.

Why is that? I can think of plenty of insects in the Great Lakes State that like to pester me all summer long.

Get our free mobile app

Every Michigander learned our state symbols back in elementary school, right?

I know the state flower of Michigan is the apple blossom, the official state mammal of Michigan is the white tailed deer, and the state stone of Michigan is the Petoskey stone.

Thanks to a recent round of pub trivia I learned about our attempts to designate an official state dog breed/state animal, but a group of fifth graders in West Michigan have taken on a new state quest: naming an official state insect.

According to WOOD-TV 8 a fifth grade class at Aberdeen Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan are pushing to designate the stonefly as the official state insect of Michigan. Ever heard of it?

Well, I haven't.

About the Stonefly

Emma Witkovsky tells WOOD-TV 8 her fifth grade class chose the stonefly because of the key role it plays in our food chain, particularly with brook trout which is the official state fish of Michigan.

Each student wrote essays about the stonefly and sent them to State Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids who then introduced HB 5563 in the Michigan House. What's  next? According to WOOD-TV,

The bill is awaiting a hearing by the Natural Resources, Enviornment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Commitee. Hood told News 8 Monday that she hopes it will pass the committee and the House by the end of the school year.