Symbol | Official Item

The honeybee was designated the official state insect of Arkansas in 1973. The honeybee is recognized as an official symbol in seventeen states, primarily because honeybees play such an important role in agriculture.

Bee pollination is critical to plant and human survival - beeswax and honey are just surplus gifts from this tiny wonder of nature. The plant world expends a lot of energy attracting bees and other insects with brilliantly colored flowers and sweet nectar (nectar is produced solely to attract pollinating insects).

Arkansas officially designated the graceful white-tailed deer as state mammal in 1993. An animal of incredible beauty and power, white-tailed deer are able to run up to 40 miles per hour, jump 9 foot fences, and swim 13 miles per hour. The white underside of the deer's tail waves when running and is flashed as a warning when danger is sensed. Fawns are born with white spots for camouflage. Both native Americans and settlers relied on the white-tailed deer for buckskin and food.

Arkansas designated the apple blossom as the official state flower in 1901. All State Flowers

Arkansas was once a major apple producing state and still has an Arkansas apple festival each year in the town of Lincoln (in Washington county).

The mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) was designated the official state bird of Arkansas in 1929 (the northern mockingbird is also the state bird of Florida, Texas, Tennessee and Mississippi). All State Birds

Mockingbird Facts

Northern Mockingbirds have extraordinary vocal abilities - they can sing up to 200 songs, including the songs of other birds, insect and amphibian sounds, even an occasional mechanical noise.

The Diana fritillary butterfly was designated the official butterfly of Arkansas in 2007. Male Diana Fritillary butterflies are dark brown with orange markings. Females are larger, and their coloring is dramatically different from the males (black with bright blue markings and white spots).

Diana Fritillary butterflies can be found in the moist mountain areas of Arkansas, feeding on flower nectar in the summer months. Arkansas also recognizes an official state insect (the honeybee - extremely important to agriculture).

Maine's coat of arms appears on the state flag and the state seal of Maine. All Coats of Arms

The state flag of Maine was adopted in 1909. It displays Maine's coat-of-arms on a field of blue (the same shade of blue as the national flag). Maine's state seal also displays the coat of arms. All State Flags

The official state seal of Maine was adopted in 1820. The coat of arms featured on the seal also appears on Maine's state flag. All State Seals.

The farmer is a symbol of pride in Maine's agricultural roots. The sailor represents Maine's strong ties to the sea. They stand on a banner with the name "MAINE" (in capital letters).

The Delaware state seal was first adopted in 1777. All State Seals

The inscription "Great Seal of the State of Delaware" surrounds the state coat of arms, above three dates:

The great seal of Arkansas is based on the territorial seal designed by Samuel Calhoun Roane. The seal design was altered in 1836 when Arkansas became a state. Arkansas state Code requires the following elements on any rendering of the state seal: