State Insect of Utah
- Scientific Name
- Apis mellifera
- Adopted
- 1983
- Status
- Official state insect
- Legislation
- Utah Code § 63G-1-601
What Is the State Insect of Utah?
The honey bee, Apis mellifera, is Utah's official state insect. Governor Scott Matheson signed the designation into law on March 16, 1983.
Utah is nicknamed the Beehive State, and the honey bee's hardworking reputation made it a natural fit alongside that symbol.
About the European Honey Bee
A honey bee is a small, fuzzy insect with a golden-brown and black striped body and two pairs of clear wings.
Honey bees live in large colonies built around a single queen. Worker bees gather nectar and pollen, build wax honeycomb, and produce the honey the colony eats and stores.
A single hive can hold tens of thousands of bees, all working together to keep the colony fed and growing.
How Utah Chose the European Honey Bee
A fifth-grade class at Ridgecrest Elementary School in Salt Lake County studied the honey bee and how state government works, then lobbied lawmakers to name it Utah's state insect.
State Senator Fred W. Finlinson introduced the bill based on the students' campaign, and Governor Scott Matheson signed it into law on March 16, 1983.
