Greene County is in the Till Plains ecoregion. Located within the Great Miami River watershed, the Little Miami River cuts across the county diagonally from the NE to the SW. A short segment of the Mad River crosses the NW corner.

Places to Visit

• Spring Lakes Park – This site has three large fishing ponds. There is adequate parking and restrooms. Even though these ponds are stocked with fish, the odanata diversity is quite good. The ponds are spring-fed and surrounded by mature woods, a nearby creek, and a small meadow. iNaturalist shows 46 species of odonata reported from this location. There are good populations of Pronghorn Clubtails in late spring and Flag-tailed Spinylegs in summer and early fall. Other species of note include Springtime Darners, Dragonhunters, Ashy Clubtails, Slaty Skimmers, Dusky Dancers, Vesper Bluets, and Swamp Spreadwings. A few Swift Setwings have been documented here, but their presence is sporadic.  

• Siebenthaler Fen – 40 species have been reported from this location. There is small gravel parking lot. No restrooms. A one-mile boardwalk trail makes this site very accessible and easy to hike. Swamp Darners, Sphagnum Sprites, and Eastern Red Damsels can be found here in early summer. Shadow Darners and Band-winged Meadowhawks are common in late summer and fall. Other species that have been documented at this site include Great Blue Skimmers, Cyrano Darners, Clamp-tipped Emeralds, Mocha Emeralds, and Fawn Darners, but those require more searching to find.

• Oakes Quarry Park – This site has a large gravel parking lot and portable toilets. A gravel drive leads from the northwest corner of the parking lot to the quarry floor. This site has several large, shallow ponds and wetlands. The habitat is attractive to migratory dragonflies, such as saddlebags and gliders. Several uncommon species have been documented here over recent years, including Four-spotted Skimmers, Variegated Meadowhawks, Red Saddlebags, Painted Skimmers, and Paiute Dancers. Calico and Halloween Pennants are abundant, and Citrine Forktails can be common in favorable years. There is also a good population of Blue Corporals in April and May.

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.