The Wisconsin Dragonfly Society wants your help to correct what it sees as a nearly 50-year-old wrong in the designation of the state insect.

In 1977, Marinette students successfully pushed to make the honeybee the official state insect, recognizing its importance to agriculture and pollination. The dragonfly was among the insects considered, along with the monarch butterfly and the mosquito, but was not chosen.

Last year, the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society began a push to redesignate the honeybee as the state agricultural insect and name the Hine’s emerald dragonfly as the state insect.

The federally protected insect survives in pockets around the country, including in Door County, where bogs like those at The Ridges Sanctuary provide ideal habitat. Dragonflies like the Hine’s emerald prey on pests and serve as a major food source for game fish.

Wisconsin Dragonfly Society President Edgar Spalding said there are several reasons why the Hine’s emerald dragonfly would be a more appropriate state insect and is worthy of the designation.

The question, “Would you support the Legislature designating the rare Hine’s emerald dragonfly as the state insect and redesignating the honeybee as the state agricultural insect?” is one of more than 40 on a Department of Natural Resources questionnaire that opens for public response April 13.

With enough responses, Spalding hopes the Wisconsin Legislature will consider making the switch from the honeybee to the Hine’s emerald dragonfly.

Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Dragonfly Society