Brown County
Known species county: 61
Total Observations county: 1,193
Population: 44,264
Area in Square Miles: 493
People per Square Mile: 90
Observations per Square Mile: 2.0
Percent of State Species: 35%
Percent of State Observations: 0.4%
County iNaturalist observations
The Observed Species table provides statistical data on all odonata species that have been observed in the county. Below that is a Target Species table listing species that have not yet been documented in this county, but are likely to exist in the county. This list is data-driven by listing species records from neighboring counties.
Observed Species
Common Name | Scientific Name | Brown Total | Ohio Total | Brown 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 141 | 18,692 | 8 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 131 | 19,534 | 7 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 92 | 5,911 | 2 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 87 | 14,355 | 9 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 82 | 14,243 | 9 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 74 | 15,432 | 2 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 73 | 12,693 | 6 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 50 | 18,549 | 2 | 2025 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 45 | 1,304 | 5 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 35 | 4,461 | 0 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 27 | 6,289 | 1 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 27 | 4,380 | 1 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 26 | 3,264 | 2 | 2025 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 21 | 4,080 | 3 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 20 | 5,028 | 1 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 18 | 4,110 | 1 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 17 | 7,430 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 15 | 7,716 | 1 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 14 | 5,543 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 13 | 10,084 | 2 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 13 | 4,797 | 1 | 2025 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 13 | 2,314 | 0 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 13 | 1,238 | 0 | 2022 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 11 | 8,693 | 1 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 11 | 6,256 | 1 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 11 | 2,863 | 0 | 2022 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 11 | 1,444 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 7 | 3,416 | 2 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 7 | 6,026 | 1 | 2025 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 7 | 1,355 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 7 | 696 | 0 | 2019 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 6 | 2,589 | 1 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 6 | 10,593 | 0 | 2022 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 6 | 5,374 | 0 | 2022 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 4 | 5,250 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 4 | 1,926 | 0 | 2021 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 4 | 939 | 0 | 2022 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 4 | 366 | 0 | 2023 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 4 | 329 | 0 | 2022 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 3 | 763 | 3 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 3 | 1,903 | 0 | 2022 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 3 | 1,043 | 0 | 2023 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 3 | 759 | 0 | 2022 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 3 | 466 | 0 | 2019 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 2 | 837 | 2 | 2025 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 2 | 729 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 2 | 1,962 | 0 | 2019 |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 2 | 163 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 1 | 849 | 1 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 1 | 3,706 | 0 | 1963 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 1 | 1,067 | 0 | 2023 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 1,012 | 0 | 2010 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 999 | 0 | 2008 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 1 | 991 | 0 | 1961 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 724 | 0 | 2024 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 1 | 679 | 0 | 2018 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 1 | 667 | 0 | 2018 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 1 | 616 | 0 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 1 | 615 | 0 | 1983 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 566 | 0 | 2008 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 1 | 421 | 0 | 1960 |
Target Species
Target species are potential County Records - species not yet documented in the county. 'Local Obs' is Local Observations and indicates the number of times that the species has been observed in adjacent counties since 2000, and '# of Counties' is the number of adjacent counties in which those recent observations took place. Zero local observations or recent counties means the existing records are historical. 'Peak Active' is a relative description of when the species has been known to fly.| Common Name | Scientific Name | Ohio Obs | Local Obs | # of Counties | Peak Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 199 | 12 | 5 | Jun-Jul |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 494 | 49 | 4 | Jun |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1,353 | 21 | 4 | Sep-Oct |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1,069 | 16 | 4 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 977 | 104 | 3 | Jul |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 513 | 40 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1,133 | 22 | 3 | Sep |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 19 | 3 | Jun |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 2,034 | 18 | 3 | early Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 605 | 15 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 297 | 10 | 3 | Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 9 | 3 | Apr-Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 4 | 3 | Sep |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 207 | 40 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 74 | 24 | 2 | late Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 23 | 2 | Jun |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 240 | 22 | 2 | Aug |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1,150 | 19 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 16 | 2 | Jun |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 961 | 14 | 2 | Jun-Sep |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 263 | 14 | 2 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 382 | 11 | 2 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 226 | 6 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 4 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 4 | 2 | Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1,106 | 3 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 706 | 2 | 2 | Jul |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 540 | 2 | 2 | Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 15 | 1 | Aug |
| Duckweed Firetail | Telebasis byersi | 14 | 14 | 1 | Jul |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 68 | 10 | 1 | May |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 706 | 8 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 134 | 7 | 1 | Jul |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,600 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 99 | 2 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 708 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 685 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 592 | 1 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 205 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 181 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 99 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 69 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Striped Saddlebags | Tramea darwini | 60 | 1 | 1 | early Oct |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 46 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 28 | 1 | 1 | late May |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,915 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 461 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 363 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 247 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Located on the southern edge of Ohio and bordering the Ohio river, almost 21% of Brown County is forested. The East Fork of the Little Miami River bisects the county’s northern panhandle. Most of the county is within the glaciated Till Plains ecoregion, but a narrow strip along the Ohio is part of the Outer Bluegrass Region.
County Observation Activity
This graph shows the total number of odonata observations for the county in blue, with the average for all Ohio counties in orange. The season is divided into 10 or 11 day segments by Month – basically early-month, mid-month, and late-month.
Page updated 8 January 2026