A group of Rhode Island third-graders want to make the American burying beetle the official state insect.
The students from St. Michael's Country Day School in Newport decided to find a state insect after learning that Rhode Island is one of the few states without one.
Their top contenders were the honeybee, mosquito, ladybug and American burying beetle, since they're found locally.
They ruled out the honeybee — too many states already use it as their state insect.
A conservationist from the Roger Williams Park Zoo told them about his efforts to repopulate the endangered American burying beetle. They were sold.
The students contacted newspapers and politicians in a campaign to make the bug the official state insect.
A bill is now pending before the General Assembly.