Hamilton County
Known species: 91
Total Observations: 7,182
Population: 804,520
Area in Square Miles: 406
People per Square Mile: 1,949
Observations per Square Mile: 11.6
Percent of State Species: 53%
Percent of State Observations: 2.3%
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 | Hamilton Total | Ohio Total | Hamilton 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 492 | 18,692 | 86 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 452 | 19,534 | 82 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 382 | 14,243 | 64 | 2025 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 371 | 461 | 66 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 369 | 7,716 | 60 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 337 | 14,355 | 70 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 335 | 5,250 | 45 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 259 | 18,549 | 21 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 244 | 12,693 | 29 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 215 | 5,028 | 27 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 203 | 6,289 | 22 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 199 | 7,430 | 22 | 2025 |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 187 | 205 | 65 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 178 | 15,432 | 26 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 164 | 6,026 | 35 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 162 | 10,084 | 31 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 142 | 5,543 | 25 | 2025 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 135 | 1,926 | 28 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 126 | 4,110 | 15 | 2025 |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 126 | 240 | 5 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 112 | 2,863 | 15 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 104 | 1,903 | 18 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 103 | 10,593 | 24 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 102 | 3,264 | 22 | 2025 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 100 | 1,444 | 6 | 2025 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 97 | 4,080 | 10 | 2025 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 91 | 486 | 4 | 2025 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 86 | 1,133 | 13 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 84 | 4,461 | 12 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 84 | 4,797 | 10 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 78 | 4,380 | 13 | 2025 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 75 | 667 | 10 | 2025 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 64 | 1,962 | 11 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 58 | 5,911 | 22 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 56 | 5,374 | 14 | 2025 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 49 | 1,012 | 1 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 48 | 8,693 | 7 | 2025 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 46 | 2,314 | 4 | 2025 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 46 | 939 | 2 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 44 | 6,256 | 6 | 2025 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 43 | 837 | 4 | 2025 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 37 | 1,304 | 1 | 2025 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 35 | 1,353 | 4 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 34 | 3,706 | 2 | 2025 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 28 | 849 | 4 | 2025 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 26 | 729 | 6 | 2025 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 22 | 3,416 | 2 | 2025 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 22 | 724 | 1 | 2025 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 22 | 679 | 0 | 2023 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 21 | 1,355 | 1 | 2025 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 19 | 759 | 1 | 2025 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 18 | 1,069 | 6 | 2025 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 17 | 513 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 16 | 696 | 2 | 2025 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 15 | 1,238 | 1 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 14 | 2,589 | 1 | 2025 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 12 | 605 | 3 | 2025 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 12 | 763 | 2 | 2025 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 12 | 329 | 2 | 2025 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 12 | 199 | 2 | 2025 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 11 | 366 | 1 | 2025 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 11 | 1,067 | 0 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 11 | 991 | 0 | 2003 |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 10 | 341 | 1 | 2025 |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 9 | 18 | 0 | 2020 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 8 | 244 | 0 | 2023 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 6 | 999 | 1 | 2025 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 6 | 1,600 | 0 | 2024 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 6 | 383 | 0 | 1997 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 6 | 247 | 0 | 1997 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 5 | 592 | 0 | 2019 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 4 | 615 | 0 | 1993 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 4 | 466 | 0 | 2021 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 4 | 421 | 0 | 2024 |
| Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 4 | 16 | 0 | 2006 |
| Rambur's Forktail | Ischnura ramburii | 4 | 15 | 0 | 2021 |
| Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1994 |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 3 | 445 | 2 | 2025 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 3 | 977 | 0 | 2023 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 3 | 616 | 0 | 2019 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 3 | 363 | 0 | 2015 |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 3 | 28 | 0 | 2024 |
| Riverine Clubtail | Stylurus amnicola | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1999 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 2 | 263 | 0 | 2023 |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 2 | 226 | 0 | 2007 |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 1 | 163 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1 | 1,915 | 0 | 2020 |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 1 | 685 | 0 | 1896 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 443 | 0 | 2008 |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 1 | 170 | 0 | 1896 |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 1 | 46 | 0 | 1899 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 566 | 43 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 207 | 24 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 961 | 14 | 2 | Jun-Sep |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1,150 | 9 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 297 | 7 | 2 | Jun |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 708 | 4 | 2 | Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1,106 | 3 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 494 | 2 | 2 | Jun |
| Duckweed Firetail | Telebasis byersi | 14 | 14 | 1 | Jul |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 74 | 3 | 1 | late Jun |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1,043 | 1 | 1 | May-Jun |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 706 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 540 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 69 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Striped Saddlebags | Tramea darwini | 60 | 1 | 1 | early Oct |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 99 | 0 | 0 | late May-mid Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 92 | 0 | 0 | late Jul |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 68 | 0 | 0 | May |
Home to the major city of Cincinnati, Hamilton County is nearly evenly split between the Outer Bluegrass Region, which includes the western 1/3 of the county and its entire southern border, and the Till Plain in the NE corner. Located within the Great Miami River watershed, Great and Little Miami Rivers bisect the county, and it is bordered on the south by the Ohio River. This area of Ohio tends to have the longest odonate flight season in the state, especially in the spring.
Places to Visit
Otto Armleder Memorial Park. Pond and access to the Little Miami River. See “Clubtails of the Little Miami”, p. 13, issue 30-11 of the Ohio Dragon Flyer.
Great Miami River Water Trail Map shows 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 12 January 2026