Hamilton County
Known species: 90
Total Observations: 5,838
Population: 804,520
Area in Square Miles: 406
People per Square Mile: 1,949
Observations per Square Mile: 11.6
Percent of State Species: 52%
Percent of State Observations: 2.2%
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 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 396 | 15,601 | 58 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 343 | 16,365 | 56 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 304 | 6,584 | 70 | 2024 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 303 | 390 | 80 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 290 | 12,022 | 60 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 274 | 4,444 | 87 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 258 | 11,931 | 34 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 235 | 15,992 | 63 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 195 | 10,887 | 43 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 179 | 4,187 | 30 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 177 | 6,173 | 48 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 176 | 5,160 | 33 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 151 | 13,199 | 22 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 127 | 8,606 | 16 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 126 | 5,141 | 34 | 2024 |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 119 | 137 | 36 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 116 | 4,803 | 38 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 109 | 3,380 | 9 | 2024 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 106 | 1,452 | 18 | 2024 |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 104 | 177 | 17 | 2024 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 92 | 2,488 | 17 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 89 | 1,263 | 18 | 2024 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 86 | 471 | 20 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 86 | 3,740 | 6 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 86 | 1,523 | 6 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 74 | 8,456 | 18 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 74 | 2,788 | 13 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 74 | 3,904 | 11 | 2024 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 71 | 959 | 15 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 69 | 3,832 | 13 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 65 | 3,791 | 13 | 2024 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 65 | 562 | 7 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 50 | 1,681 | 12 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 42 | 2,065 | 12 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 41 | 4,492 | 2 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 40 | 7,557 | 3 | 2024 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 39 | 760 | 3 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 38 | 5,343 | 6 | 2024 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 37 | 927 | 8 | 2024 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 36 | 1,197 | 6 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 35 | 4,920 | 6 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 32 | 3,194 | 6 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 28 | 1,187 | 7 | 2024 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 23 | 715 | 2 | 2024 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 23 | 809 | 0 | 2023 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 22 | 598 | 0 | 2023 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 21 | 605 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 20 | 2,837 | 1 | 2024 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 20 | 1,208 | 0 | 2022 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 18 | 589 | 4 | 2024 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 18 | 706 | 1 | 2024 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 15 | 501 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 14 | 601 | 6 | 2024 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 14 | 962 | 0 | 2022 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 13 | 2,367 | 0 | 2023 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 12 | 860 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 11 | 965 | 0 | 2003 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 10 | 284 | 5 | 2024 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 10 | 874 | 4 | 2024 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 10 | 671 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 10 | 321 | 0 | 2023 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 10 | 146 | 0 | 2023 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 9 | 514 | 5 | 2024 |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 9 | 321 | 2 | 2024 |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 9 | 18 | 0 | 2020 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 6 | 1,420 | 1 | 2024 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 6 | 305 | 0 | 1997 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 6 | 210 | 0 | 1997 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 5 | 922 | 1 | 2024 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 5 | 447 | 0 | 2019 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 4 | 377 | 2 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 4 | 519 | 0 | 1993 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 4 | 374 | 0 | 2021 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 4 | 236 | 0 | 2023 |
| 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 |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 3 | 24 | 3 | 2024 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 3 | 860 | 0 | 2023 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 3 | 580 | 0 | 2019 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 3 | 361 | 0 | 2015 |
| Riverine Clubtail | Stylurus amnicola | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1999 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 2 | 202 | 0 | 2023 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1 | 1,702 | 0 | 2020 |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 1 | 569 | 0 | 1896 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 396 | 0 | 2008 |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 1 | 377 | 0 | 2008 |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 1 | 209 | 0 | 2007 |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 1 | 149 | 0 | 1896 |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 1 | 45 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 189 | 17 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 503 | 15 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1,009 | 8 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 295 | 7 | 2 | Jun |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 858 | 4 | 2 | Jun-Sep |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 931 | 3 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Duckweed Firetail | Telebasis byersi | 14 | 14 | 1 | Jul |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 567 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 396 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 2 | 1 | late Jun |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 918 | 1 | 1 | May-Jun |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 608 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 485 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 446 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 64 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Striped Saddlebags | Tramea darwini | 33 | 1 | 1 | early Oct |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 140 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 95 | 0 | 0 | late May-mid Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 88 | 0 | 0 | late Jul |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 63 | 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 2 January 2025