Butler County
Known species county: 81
Total Observations county: 4,998
Population: 371,222
Area in Square Miles: 470
People per Square Mile: 790
Observations per Square Mile: 8.4
Percent of State Species: 47%
Percent of State Observations: 1.6%
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 | Butler Total | Ohio Total | Butler 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 513 | 19,534 | 76 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 348 | 18,692 | 42 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 323 | 14,243 | 27 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 317 | 15,432 | 17 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 283 | 18,549 | 10 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 257 | 14,355 | 39 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 205 | 12,693 | 29 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 193 | 4,797 | 1 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 191 | 6,026 | 22 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 190 | 10,084 | 19 | 2025 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 187 | 1,926 | 14 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 179 | 5,250 | 22 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 176 | 6,256 | 30 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 142 | 7,716 | 18 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 115 | 7,430 | 17 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 114 | 6,289 | 13 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 92 | 5,028 | 19 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 86 | 4,110 | 28 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 75 | 3,264 | 18 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 75 | 8,693 | 10 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 69 | 5,543 | 8 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 66 | 4,461 | 17 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 64 | 4,380 | 7 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 57 | 10,593 | 6 | 2025 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 55 | 3,416 | 6 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 52 | 5,374 | 16 | 2025 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 47 | 4,080 | 1 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 43 | 3,706 | 11 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 39 | 1,903 | 3 | 2025 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 37 | 2,314 | 13 | 2025 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 30 | 1,962 | 7 | 2025 |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 28 | 240 | 0 | 2024 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 26 | 1,238 | 1 | 2025 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 24 | 1,133 | 1 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 20 | 2,863 | 0 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 19 | 5,911 | 6 | 2025 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 18 | 1,444 | 1 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 17 | 2,589 | 5 | 2025 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 17 | 939 | 3 | 2025 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 17 | 696 | 0 | 2024 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 16 | 977 | 1 | 2025 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 14 | 1,353 | 0 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 13 | 615 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 11 | 1,150 | 1 | 2025 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 11 | 1,067 | 0 | 2021 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 9 | 837 | 0 | 2024 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 8 | 667 | 3 | 2025 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 8 | 991 | 0 | 1996 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 8 | 849 | 0 | 2024 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 7 | 592 | 2 | 2025 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 7 | 207 | 0 | 2023 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 6 | 1,355 | 0 | 2019 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 5 | 759 | 0 | 2019 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 5 | 486 | 0 | 2024 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 5 | 329 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 4 | 729 | 1 | 2025 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 4 | 466 | 1 | 2025 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 4 | 1,012 | 0 | 2024 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 4 | 383 | 0 | 1957 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 4 | 247 | 0 | 1996 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 3 | 724 | 2 | 2025 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 3 | 708 | 0 | 2018 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 3 | 706 | 0 | 1997 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 3 | 605 | 0 | 2018 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 3 | 566 | 0 | 1997 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 3 | 366 | 0 | 2024 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 2 | 1,069 | 1 | 2025 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 2 | 1,304 | 0 | 2018 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 999 | 0 | 2022 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 2 | 363 | 0 | 1964 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 2 | 244 | 0 | 2024 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 2 | 199 | 0 | 2016 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1 | 1,600 | 0 | 1997 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 1,106 | 0 | 1964 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 1,043 | 0 | 1998 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 1 | 513 | 0 | 2022 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 1 | 461 | 0 | 2010 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 443 | 0 | 2018 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 263 | 0 | 1969 |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 1 | 163 | 0 | 1965 |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 1 | 92 | 0 | 1964 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 679 | 19 | 3 | late Jul-Aug |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 763 | 14 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 28 | 5 | 3 | late May |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 540 | 2 | 2 | Jun |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 205 | 186 | 1 | Sep |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 961 | 13 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 10 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 124 | 5 | 1 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 421 | 4 | 1 | early Sep |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
| Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 16 | 4 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Rambur's Forktail | Ischnura ramburii | 15 | 4 | 1 | Jul |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 616 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 226 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,915 | 1 | 1 | early Jun |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 494 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 297 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 685 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 99 | 0 | 0 | late May-mid Jun |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 68 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 46 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Riverine Clubtail | Stylurus amnicola | 15 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 6 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Located entirely within the Till Plains ecoregion, Butler County is bisected by the Great Miami River, which flows from the NE corner to the SE (see Great Miami River Watershed).
Places to Visit
See "Clubtails of the Great Miami" in issue 30-11 of the Ohio Dragon Flier. Includes map and suggested river access points. See also Great Miami River Water Trail Map for river access points, and facilities.
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