Did you know?

Did you know?

Question: How many states in the United States of America claim the firefly as their state insect?

Answer: The Firefly is the state insect for Pennsylvania and Tennessee!  

History

In 1974 a group of elementary age students in Pennsylvania petitioned to designate the Firefly as the state insect after being inspired by the knowledge of Maryland’s adoption of the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly as its state insect. These determined young students collectively petitioned to have the firefly designated as Pennsylvania's state insect (Ogando, 2024). Their remarkable initiative ultimately led to the firefly being officially designated as Pennsylvania's state insect on April 10, 1974.

In 1975 the state of Tennessee adopted both the firefly and the ladybug as their state insect and in 1990 expanded its list of state insects to include an agriculture insect, the honeybee (Tennessee Department of State, 2025). The fireflies unique characteristic of bioluminescent displays is one of the main reasons it was chosen as the states insect.

Inspiration

The firefly’s influence goes beyond recognition as a state insect and has inspired groundbreaking technological advancements and other innovations. Inspired by the efficient light-emitting structure of a firefly's lantern, in 2016 a team at the Korea Advanced Institutes of Science and Technology (KAIST) engineered a groundbreaking organic LED (OLED). This innovative design replicates the firefly's tiled surface and enables the new LED to produce an impressive 60% more light from the same power input compared to conventional bulbs (Bright Ideas from Fireflies: Biomimicry for Sustainable Design, 2016). This approach to innovation, which involves mimicking nature's structures and processes to create sustainable product designs, is called biomimicry. While the concept of mimicking nature isn't new, a growing number of companies are now deliberately integrating biomimicry into their product designs. They're discovering that this approach offers a clear path toward creating more sustainable and efficient solutions.

Resources-

Bright Ideas from Fireflies: Biomimicry for Sustainable Design. (2016, May 5). EarthShift Global. https://earthshiftglobal.com/blog/bright-ideas-from-fireflies-biomimicry-for-sustainable-design

Tennessee Department of State. (2025). Tnsosfiles.com. https://sharetngov.tnsosfiles.com/sos/symbols/symbols.htm

Ogando, C. (2024, June 11). Pennsylvania state insect: the Firefly. WGAL. https://www.wgal.com/article/pennsylvania-state-insect/61067996


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