Preble County
Known species: 60
Total Observations: 1,095
Population: 41,732
Area in Square Miles: 424
People per Square Mile: 98
Observations per Square Mile: 2.6
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 | Preble Total | Ohio Total | Preble 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 112 | 13,870 | 29 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 99 | 10,352 | 15 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 73 | 13,326 | 6 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 66 | 4,313 | 16 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 57 | 10,727 | 8 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 54 | 13,169 | 15 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 54 | 7,169 | 8 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 53 | 8,819 | 2 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 40 | 6,247 | 4 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 39 | 9,898 | 7 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 38 | 5,111 | 6 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 36 | 3,184 | 4 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 34 | 2,390 | 5 | 2023 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 33 | 451 | 23 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 29 | 5,692 | 3 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 23 | 2,364 | 6 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 20 | 4,097 | 6 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 18 | 2,752 | 8 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 15 | 3,628 | 0 | 2022 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 14 | 1,991 | 2 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 13 | 3,785 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 13 | 440 | 0 | 1986 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 10 | 2,839 | 2 | 2023 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 10 | 298 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 10 | 1,241 | 0 | 2019 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 9 | 3,761 | 2 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 9 | 3,377 | 0 | 2022 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 8 | 743 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 7 | 446 | 4 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 7 | 4,247 | 3 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 7 | 3,492 | 2 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 7 | 4,146 | 1 | 2023 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 7 | 740 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 6 | 2,115 | 1 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 6 | 6,971 | 0 | 2019 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 5 | 3,109 | 0 | 2022 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 4 | 4,032 | 0 | 2019 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 4 | 1,048 | 0 | 2022 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 3 | 748 | 2 | 2023 |
| Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 3 | 106 | 2 | 2023 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 3 | 1,204 | 0 | 2022 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 3 | 899 | 0 | 2022 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 2 | 1,376 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 2 | 874 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 2 | 1,687 | 0 | 2021 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 2 | 542 | 0 | 2018 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 2 | 536 | 0 | 2022 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 2 | 515 | 0 | 2019 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 2 | 172 | 0 | 2022 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1 | 1,037 | 0 | 2022 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 824 | 0 | 1931 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 802 | 0 | 2018 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 1 | 688 | 0 | 2018 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 1 | 544 | 0 | 2019 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 1 | 458 | 0 | 2019 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 439 | 0 | 2020 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 1 | 277 | 0 | 2018 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 1 | 272 | 0 | 1980 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 255 | 0 | 2020 |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 1 | 19 | 0 | 2022 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1,031 | 48 | 3 | Sep-Oct |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 478 | 37 | 3 | Jul |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1,056 | 25 | 3 | May |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 479 | 17 | 3 | Jun |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 620 | 15 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 467 | 11 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 684 | 92 | 2 | Jul |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 731 | 91 | 2 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 85 | 2 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 63 | 2 | Jun |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 150 | 49 | 2 | Aug |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 443 | 32 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 170 | 29 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 73 | 22 | 2 | late Jul |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 942 | 18 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 15 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1,518 | 14 | 2 | early Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 13 | 2 | Sep |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 10 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 285 | 6 | 2 | Jun |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 90 | 6 | 2 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 3 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 189 | 2 | 2 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 390 | 33 | 1 | Jun |
| Paiute Dancer | Argia alberta | 347 | 31 | 1 | Jun |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,230 | 22 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,028 | 21 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 768 | 19 | 1 | May-Jun |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 340 | 18 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 860 | 15 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 733 | 10 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,357 | 8 | 1 | early Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 4 | 1 | late Jun |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 471 | 3 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 3 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 498 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 359 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 192 | 1 | 1 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Brown Spiketail | Cordulegaster bilineata | 216 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 180 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 121 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
Located entirely in the Till Plains, Preble County borders Indiana. Most of the county is within the The Great Miami River watershed. It has no major rivers.
County Observation Activity
This graph shows the total number of odonata observations for the county in brown, with the average for all Ohio counties in blue. The season is divided into 10 or 11 day segments by Month – basically early-month, mid-month, and late-month.
Page updated 18 January 2024