Preble County
Known species: 60
Total Observations: 1,210
Population: 41,732
Area in Square Miles: 424
People per Square Mile: 98
Observations per Square Mile: 2.6
Percent of State Species: 35%
Percent of State Observations: 0.5%
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 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 127 | 16,365 | 15 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 122 | 11,931 | 23 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 76 | 15,992 | 3 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 70 | 5,343 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 64 | 15,601 | 10 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 61 | 10,887 | 8 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 59 | 13,199 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 57 | 8,606 | 3 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 47 | 12,022 | 8 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 47 | 7,557 | 7 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 40 | 3,791 | 4 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 39 | 6,173 | 1 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 36 | 2,788 | 2 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 35 | 6,584 | 6 | 2024 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 33 | 503 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 24 | 2,837 | 1 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 20 | 2,367 | 6 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 20 | 4,803 | 0 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 19 | 4,187 | 4 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 18 | 3,194 | 0 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 13 | 4,920 | 9 | 2024 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 13 | 374 | 3 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 13 | 4,492 | 0 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 13 | 519 | 0 | 1986 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 12 | 3,380 | 2 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 10 | 1,523 | 0 | 2019 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 9 | 5,160 | 2 | 2024 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 9 | 809 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 9 | 4,444 | 0 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 9 | 3,740 | 0 | 2022 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 7 | 5,141 | 0 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 7 | 3,904 | 0 | 2023 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 7 | 922 | 0 | 2022 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 7 | 601 | 0 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 6 | 8,456 | 0 | 2019 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 6 | 2,488 | 0 | 2023 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 5 | 3,832 | 0 | 2022 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 4 | 1,263 | 0 | 2022 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 3 | 1,452 | 0 | 2022 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 3 | 962 | 0 | 2022 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 3 | 874 | 0 | 2023 |
| Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 3 | 115 | 0 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 2 | 2,065 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 2 | 1,681 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 2 | 1,009 | 0 | 2023 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 2 | 671 | 0 | 2018 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 2 | 605 | 0 | 2019 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 2 | 598 | 0 | 2022 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 2 | 189 | 0 | 2022 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1 | 1,197 | 0 | 2022 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 959 | 0 | 1931 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 927 | 0 | 2018 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 1 | 760 | 0 | 2018 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 1 | 608 | 0 | 2019 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 589 | 0 | 2020 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 1 | 485 | 0 | 2019 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 1 | 321 | 0 | 2018 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 1 | 305 | 0 | 1980 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 284 | 0 | 2020 |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 1 | 24 | 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 | 1,187 | 57 | 3 | Sep-Oct |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 562 | 45 | 3 | Jul |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1,208 | 31 | 3 | May |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 567 | 21 | 3 | Jun |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 715 | 18 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 501 | 13 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 471 | 111 | 2 | Jun |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 860 | 99 | 2 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 860 | 93 | 2 | Jul |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 377 | 84 | 2 | Jun |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 177 | 54 | 2 | Aug |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 209 | 37 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 514 | 36 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 88 | 32 | 2 | late Jul |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 447 | 28 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 965 | 21 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 706 | 17 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1,803 | 14 | 2 | early Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 390 | 14 | 2 | Sep |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 146 | 10 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 100 | 8 | 2 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 295 | 6 | 2 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 236 | 4 | 2 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 3 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 446 | 41 | 1 | Jun |
| Paiute Dancer | Argia alberta | 369 | 31 | 1 | Jun |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,420 | 27 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,230 | 21 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 918 | 19 | 1 | May-Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 931 | 16 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 858 | 14 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,702 | 8 | 1 | early Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 45 | 4 | 1 | late Jun |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 576 | 3 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 3 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 569 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 396 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 396 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 202 | 1 | 1 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 361 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 240 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 210 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 140 | 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 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 3 January 2025