Butler County
Known species county: 81
Total Observations county: 3,930
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: 1.7%
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 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 437 | 16,365 | 33 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 305 | 15,601 | 30 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 300 | 13,199 | 32 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 295 | 12,022 | 31 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 271 | 15,992 | 21 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 218 | 11,931 | 32 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 192 | 3,904 | 6 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 175 | 10,887 | 22 | 2024 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 173 | 1,452 | 9 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 170 | 8,606 | 25 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 168 | 5,141 | 17 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 156 | 4,444 | 12 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 145 | 5,343 | 18 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 121 | 6,584 | 10 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 100 | 5,160 | 23 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 95 | 6,173 | 17 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 73 | 4,187 | 15 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 65 | 7,557 | 9 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 61 | 4,803 | 7 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 58 | 3,380 | 18 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 57 | 2,788 | 12 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 57 | 3,791 | 7 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 51 | 8,456 | 3 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 49 | 2,837 | 12 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 49 | 3,832 | 10 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 46 | 3,740 | 3 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 36 | 1,523 | 11 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 36 | 4,492 | 4 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 32 | 3,194 | 8 | 2024 |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 28 | 177 | 4 | 2024 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 25 | 962 | 0 | 2022 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 23 | 2,065 | 4 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 23 | 1,681 | 4 | 2024 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 23 | 959 | 0 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 18 | 2,488 | 0 | 2023 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 17 | 1,263 | 9 | 2024 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 17 | 601 | 3 | 2024 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 15 | 860 | 0 | 2022 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 14 | 809 | 1 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 13 | 4,920 | 1 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 13 | 1,187 | 0 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 12 | 519 | 2 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 12 | 2,367 | 0 | 2023 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 11 | 874 | 0 | 2021 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 10 | 1,009 | 2 | 2024 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 9 | 760 | 3 | 2024 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 8 | 715 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 8 | 965 | 0 | 1996 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 7 | 189 | 0 | 2023 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 6 | 1,208 | 0 | 2019 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 5 | 447 | 5 | 2024 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 5 | 562 | 2 | 2024 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 5 | 471 | 1 | 2024 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 5 | 706 | 0 | 2019 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 5 | 284 | 0 | 2021 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 4 | 927 | 1 | 2024 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 4 | 305 | 0 | 1957 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 4 | 210 | 0 | 1996 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 3 | 589 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 3 | 321 | 1 | 2024 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 3 | 608 | 0 | 1997 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 3 | 567 | 0 | 2018 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 3 | 514 | 0 | 2018 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 3 | 503 | 0 | 1997 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 3 | 374 | 0 | 2019 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 2 | 236 | 1 | 2024 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 2 | 1,197 | 0 | 2018 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 922 | 0 | 2022 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 2 | 361 | 0 | 1964 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 2 | 146 | 0 | 2016 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1 | 1,420 | 0 | 1997 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 931 | 0 | 1964 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 918 | 0 | 1998 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1 | 860 | 0 | 1943 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 605 | 0 | 2009 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 1 | 501 | 0 | 2022 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 396 | 0 | 2018 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 1 | 390 | 0 | 2010 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 202 | 0 | 1969 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 1 | 140 | 0 | 1965 |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 1 | 88 | 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 | 598 | 18 | 3 | late Jul-Aug |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 671 | 12 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 24 | 5 | 3 | late May |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 485 | 2 | 2 | Jun |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 137 | 118 | 1 | Sep |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 9 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 377 | 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 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 858 | 3 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 580 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 396 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 115 | 3 | 1 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,702 | 1 | 1 | early Jun |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 446 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 377 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 295 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 209 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 569 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 95 | 0 | 0 | late May-mid Jun |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 63 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 45 | 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 2 January 2024