State insect, the praying mantis, will retain its lofty perch

The praying mantis has been Connecticut’s state insect for nearly 50 years, and it will retain that lofty perch for at least another year, a legislative committee has ruled.

Students from two different schools tried to convince a legislative committee that a native species should instead wear the crown, but each offered different options of local pests for the honor. That led lawmakers to force a compromise between the two groups of students and amend the bill to form a study committee.

Bad-mouthed as an invasive pest by students from both a private academy in Farmington and the Vernon public school where students first succeeded in having the European mantis named Connecticut’s emblematic bug back in 1977, the Government Administration & Elections Committee on Tuesday approved a new draft of the proposal that would have bestowed the appellation on the spring azure butterfly.

If approved in the upcoming legislative end games, the competing groups of students would get together, do more research and come to a conclusion next year. The students will discuss the pros and cons of substituting the praying mantis for the butterfly, or as proposed by fifth graders at the Center Road School in Vernon, the autumn meadowhawk dragonfly.

Center Road elementary is the same Vernon school where in 1977, then-Gov. Ella T. Grasso landed by a helicopter to sign the bill declaring that the mantis would carry the state’s entomological banner. But in recent years school kids learning the ins and outs of legislation have pointed out that the mantis, which eats virtually anything in the garden — including each other — is not native to Connecticut. Other non-natives include the American robin (state bird), the Eastern oyster (state shellfish) and the sperm whale (state mammal).

“For those who’ve been following this closely, please be assured that we are not making a decision today on what the state insect should be,” said state Sen. Mae Flexer, D-Killingly, co-chairwoman of the committee, praising students from both the private Watkinson School — with annual tuition at about $49,000 — and the public school kids in Vernon. “It respects the great work done by the students in Farmington and the students in Vernon.”

The task of the student working group would include looking into the history of the mantis’s ascension to the pantheon of state mascots, and come back to the committee next year with recommendations.

The amended bill, approved 19-0, next heads to the floor of the House. If approved there as well as the state Senate and signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont, it would create a working group to explore the issue.

Stefan Csontos/Shutterstock A pair of praying mantis in combat. A number of local school children tried to convince lawmakers to replace Connecticut's state insect with a native species, but their efforts were crushed this year as the bill never made it out of committee.