House Joint Resolution 2001 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION BY FREEMAN Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1 A Joint Resolution designating the monarch butterfly as the 2 official state insect of the State of Iowa. 3 WHEREAS, the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is native to 4 Iowa and is one of the most successful and widely distributed 5 animal species in the world; and 6 WHEREAS, monarch butterflies delight Iowans, young and old, by 7 their abundance and by their striking, vivid orange and black 8 coloration; and 9 WHEREAS, monarch butterflies lay their eggs only on milkweed 10 and monarch caterpillars feed only on milkweed, so Iowa provides 11 a wonderful home to these beautiful creatures with its abundant 12 milkweed that is common near farm fields and in other 13 uncultivated areas; and 14 WHEREAS, due to the abundance of milkweed, about half of the 15 world's population of monarchs originates in Iowa and the 16 neighboring corn belt states; and 17 WHEREAS, monarch butterflies are unique in the animal world 18 because their diet of milkweed gives them a natural toxin which 19 protects them from predators; and 20 WHEREAS, monarch butterflies of Iowa and neighboring states 21 are also unique because they are the only butterflies in the 22 world to make a mass long=distance migration in the fall; and 23 WHEREAS, monarch butterflies sense the seasonal changes of 24 light and temperature in the fall and gather together for their 25 amazing annual 3,000=mile journey from Iowa to spend the winter 1 in central Mexico, earning them the nickname "The International 2 Travelers"; and 3 WHEREAS, monarch butterflies return to Iowa every May to 4 herald the return of spring and to enchant Iowans once again with 5 their delicate beauty; NOW THEREFORE, 6 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 7 TLSB 5134HH 80 8 av/sh/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. STATE INSECT DESIGNATED. The monarch butterfly 1 2 (Danaus plexippus) is designated and shall be officially known 1 3 as the state insect of Iowa. 1 4 Sec. 2. APPROPRIATE REPRESENTATIONS. The director of the 1 5 department of cultural affairs shall obtain appropriate 1 6 pictures and other representations of the monarch butterfly 1 7 and shall display the pictures and representations in an 1 8 appropriate place in the state historical museum. 1 9 Sec. 3. OFFICIAL REGISTER. The editor of the Iowa 1 10 official register shall include an appropriate picture and 1 11 commentary of the monarch butterfly in the Iowa official 1 12 register, along with the pictures of the state rock, state 1 13 flower, state bird, and state tree. 1 14 EXPLANATION 1 15 This joint resolution designates the monarch butterfly as 1 16 the official state insect of Iowa. The director of the 1 17 department of cultural affairs is required to obtain pictures 1 18 and other appropriate representations of the monarch butterfly 1 19 and display the pictures and information in the state 1 20 historical museum. The editor of the Iowa official register 1 21 is required to include in the register a picture of the 1 22 monarch butterfly along with the pictures of the state rock, 1 23 state bird, state tree, and state flower. 1 24 LSB 5134HH 80 1 25 av/sh/8 1 26 1 27 1 28 1 29 1 30 1 31 1 32 1 33 1 34 1 35