SOME THINGS I LEFT OUT EARLIER

BY DAN MILLER
(originally posted NOVEMBER 23, 2004)

I couldn't decide whether to call today's blog an Addendum (which is singular), or an Addenda (which is plural)..... so I decided to just go with "Some Things I Left Out Earlier".

Pepper Hampton of Nashville, after reading my essay last week on the goodness of Ladybugs, sent me an email, reminding me of the main reason we shouldn't hurt Ladybugs.
They are, Pepper pointed out, Tennessee's “Official State Insect”. Uhhhhhhh... I knew that.

Pepper is certainly right..... but the esteemed state designation of the Ladybug is shared with the Firefly.
That's right.... we have two official state insects, the Ladybug and the Lightning bug.

But here's the rub. If it's true we shouldn't harm Ladybugs because they're our state insect, shouldn't the same apply to the lightning bugs?

Yet I recall Oak Ridge, and some other places, actually making appeals through the media (Channel 4 included) for people to collect lightning bugs..... freeze them!!.... and sell them by the bucket for scientific research. That's right.... dead state insects by the buckets full. Or would it be bucket fulls?

And for whatever it's worth, we actually have a third Official State Insect as well.
The Honeybee has been designated the State Agricultural Insect.

It seems Tennessee is a state crawling with highly honored insects.

In case you haven't studied your official state creatures lately... here's a list:

The State Bird -- the Mockingbird -- considered one of the finest singers among North American birds, making it perfect for Tennessee.

The State Animal -- the Raccoon -- though some might argue that since George Jones is called the Possum, that might have been a more fitting choice.

The State Reptile -- the box turtle.

The State Butterfly -- the Zebra Swallowtail.

The State Game Bird -- the Bobwhite Quail -- (I think Bill Hall cooked one of these for Thanksgiving)

The State Commercial Fish -- the Channel Catfish -- (I know Bill has cooked a few of these)

The State Game Fish -- the Largemouth Bass -- (don't even get Bill started on this... he might eat these things raw)

The State Amphibian -- the Tennessee Cave Salamander -- (I'll discretely speak with Bill about this one)

____________________