Tennessee State Insect
Ladybug (common name) Adalia bipunctata (scientific name) Overview There are over 1,600 species of the very small, colorful, flying beetles called ladybugs (also called the ladybird beetle or ladybird). The two-spotted ladybug was officially designated the state insect of Massachusetts in 1974. It is a popular choice as a state insect: the convergent ladybug is the state insect of Ohio; Delaware, New Hampshire, and Tennessee designated the seven-spotted ladybug in 1974, 1977, and 1975, respectively; and New York designated the nine-spotted ladybug in 1989. The ladybug has a black head, red body, and distinctive black spots on its back. The bug has a yellow–tipped head, a red elytra (the protective wings that cover the flight wings), short legs, and short antennae. The insect’s unusual coloration and spots are designed to ward off potential predators like spiders and birds. A favorite insect around the world, particularly with children, the ladybug is just as popular as the butterfly mainly because of its attractive coloration, its benefit to farmers and gardeners, and its endearing shape resembling tiny little hemispheric domes. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Wingspan: 0.15–0.27 inches (0.4–0.7 cm) Total Length: 0.3–0.4 inches (0.76–1.0 cm) Larvae: Alligator-shaped and covered in tiny bristles. LIFESPAN 1–2 years HABITAT Diverse habitats including meadows, gardens, and farms. Range: Worldwide Flight period: Fly in huge swarms in winter to hibernate. Conservation status: Although not listed as threatened, the ladybug population is declining in North America and its range is narrowing.  BEHAVIOR These colorful, carnivorous beetles will walk, climb, or fly when foraging. They inhabit all areas where temperatures are warm or mild. In harsh winters, they gather in large numbers and hibernate under rocks, under piles of leaves, or in the cracks of trees. When threatened, they will roll over and play dead since most predators look for live prey. DIET Adults: Aphids and other small, soft-bodied larvae and insects. Larvae: Aphids, insect eggs, and pollen. TRIVIA A predator attack triggers a "reflex bleeding" in which the insect secretes a foul-smelling fluid alkaloid toxin through the joints in its outer skeleton, making it unappetizing prey. Ladybugs are loved by farmers because they voraciously feed on plant-eating pests such as aphids. Each ladybug, on average, consumes at least 5,000 aphids by the time it is 5–6 weeks old.
	Click to enlarge an image Seven-Spotted Ladybug Trio of Ladybugs Feeding Ladybug Eating Aphids Ladybug Deploying Wings CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Family: Coccinellidae Genus: Adalia Species: A. bipunctata
	Author: World Trade Press

Tennessee State Butterfly
Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly (common name) Eurytides Marcellus (scientific name) Overview Zebra swallowtails are large, attractive butterflies with black and white stripes reminiscent of a zebra. Like all swallowtails, the butterfly’s hind wings have "scalloped" edges, long tails, two blue markings at the base, and two red "eye spots." Zebra swallowtails also have the longest tails of the American swallowtails. The butterfly can only lay its eggs on the pawpaw plant, and the dependency of these two species on each other has earned the swallowtail the nickname of the "pawpaw butterfly." The zebra swallowtail has two flight periods per year and it looks different depending on the season, i.e., butterflies born in the spring are smaller, whiter in color, and have shorter tails. The zebra swallowtail was designated Tennessee's state butterfly in 1995. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Wingspan: 3.75–4.5 in (9.5–11.5 cm). Larvae: Green with yellow, white, and black stripes or dark brown with orange and white stripes. LIFESPAN Up to six months HABITAT Moist, low altitude woodlands near swamps or rivers. Adults forage in open fields and brushy areas. Range: The eastern United States from southern New England to Florida and southern Minnesota to eastern Texas. Most plentiful in the southeast. Flight period: Mid-March to mid-May and mid-May to early July Conservation status: Least concern BEHAVIOR The zebra swallowtail flies close to the ground in a seemingly erratic zigging and zagging pattern. Groups of males will patrol areas near the pawpaw plant searching for females. They will gather around mud puddles and river banks in these areas. Females lay single green eggs on lower leaves of pawpaw plants. When their caterpillars emerge they live and feed on these leaves until they seal themselves up in their pupal cocoons and undergo the metamorphosis that turns them into butterflies. DIET Adults: The nectar of a variety of tall, tube-like flowers Larva: Caterpillars eat the leaves and flowers of the pawpaw plant and, occasionally, the larvae of other insects. TRIVIA Zebra swallowtail caterpillars have a forked gland on the back of their heads that releases foul-smelling chemicals if the insect is alarmed. This protects them from predatory ants and spiders. The zebra swallowtail butterfly has a very long tongue that allows it to gather nectar in flowers with long, tube-like buds.
	Click to enlarge an image Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly Close-up of Zebra Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail Larva CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Ditrysia Family: Papilionidae Genus: Eurytides Species: E. Marcellus
	Author: World Trade Press