Fort Walton Beach

Ecosystem Overview

The Fort Walton Beach ecosystem supports 48 documented wildlife species across 47 taxonomic genera. Located in Okaloosa County, Florida, this area provides critical habitat with diverse natural communities. The location hosts 10 frequently observed species and 9 occasionally documented species, creating a balanced ecosystem with both resident and visiting wildlife. While Okaloosa County nearby has 52% more documented species, Fort Walton Beach offers unique wildlife observation opportunities. This location ranks #2 for species diversity among 7 Okaloosa County County natural areas, placing it in the 71th percentile for biodiversity.

Biodiversity Highlights

Total Species

Documented wildlife species

Genus Diversity

Taxonomic genera represented

Common Species

Frequently observed species

Rare Species

Occasionally documented species

Regional Rank

Out of 7 locations

Species Distribution

Very Common10 species

Common15 species

Occasional14 species

Rare9 species

Regional Context

Regional Ranking

#2 of 7 locations

71th percentile for diversity

vs. Okaloosa County

-52% species diversity

Ecosystem Overview

‌
‌
‌
‌

Biodiversity Highlights

‌

Species Distribution

Very Common‌

Common‌

Occasional‌

Rare‌

Regional Context

Regional Ranking

‌

Most Common Species

Showing 20 most frequently observed species out of 48 total documented species.

Harmonia axyridis

Harlequin ladybird

Very Common4 obs.

Perithemis tenera

Eastern Amberwing

Very Common2 obs.

Erythemis simplicicollis

Eastern Pondhawk

Very Common2 obs.

Oncometopia nigricans

black-winged sharpshooter

Very Common2 obs.

Ischnura ramburii

Rambur's Forktail

Very Common2 obs.

Chauliognathus marginatus

Common2 obs.

Bittacomorpha clavipes

Common1 obs.

Palpada vinetorum

Common1 obs.

Xylocopa virginica

Carpenter bee

Common1 obs.

Eudiagogus rosenschoeldi

Common1 obs.

Prosapia bicincta

Common1 obs.

Chalcodermus aeneus

Occasional1 obs.

Oncopeltus fasciatus

Large Milkweed Bug

Occasional1 obs.

Poecilanthrax lucifer

Occasional1 obs.

Phyciodes phaon

Phaon Crescent

Occasional1 obs.

Schistocerca obscura

Obscure Bird Grasshopper

Occasional1 obs.

Asphaera lustrans

Occasional1 obs.

Zelus cervicalis

Rare1 obs.

Charidotella sexpunctata

Golden Tortoise Beetle

Rare1 obs.

Psyllobora parvinotata

Small-spotted Psyllobora

Rare1 obs.

Want the Complete Field Guide?

Get all 48 species with 3-4 high-quality images each, detailed descriptions, and a downloadable PDF for offline use.

Premium field guide includes identification tips, seasonal patterns, and professional layout optimized for field use.

Most Common Species

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

Want the Complete Field Guide?

‌
‌

‌

Get Your Personalized Field Guide

Download a professional PDF field guide featuring all the species found in Fort Walton Beach. Perfect for outdoor adventures, education, and nature exploration.

$6.99

Get Your Personalized Field Guide

Download a professional PDF field guide featuring all the species found in Fort Walton Beach. Perfect for outdoor adventures, education, and nature exploration.

Email Address (for delivery)

Your field guide will be delivered to this email address. Please double-check for accuracy.

$6.99

Regional Comparison

Regional Ranking

Species Count

+66%

vs. Regional Average

Compared to 6 nearby locations in Okaloosa County County, Florida

Nearby Natural Areas

Okaloosa County

Importance: 0.43

100 species

-52% vs. current

Duck Pond

Importance: 0.35

14 species

+243% vs. current

Crestview

Importance: 0.33

1 species

+4700% vs. current

Niceville

Importance: 0.33

15 species

+220% vs. current

Valparaiso

Importance: 0.29

3 species

+1500% vs. current

Mary Esther

Importance: 0.26

43 species

+12% vs. current

About This Comparison

These comparisons are based on documented wildlife observations from citizen science data. Locations with higher species counts may have more observation activity, different habitat types, or larger coverage areas. Regional rankings help identify biodiversity hotspots and unique natural areas within Okaloosa County County.

Regional Comparison

‌

Regional Ranking

‌

Species Count

‌

vs. Regional Average

‌

Nearby Natural Areas

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

About This Comparison

‌
‌
‌

Regional Comparison

Regional Ranking

Species Count

+66%

vs. Regional Average

Compared to 6 nearby locations in Okaloosa County County, Florida

Nearby Natural Areas

Okaloosa County

Importance: 0.43

100 species

-52% vs. current

Duck Pond

Importance: 0.35

14 species

+243% vs. current

Crestview

Importance: 0.33

1 species

+4700% vs. current

Niceville

Importance: 0.33

15 species

+220% vs. current

Valparaiso

Importance: 0.29

3 species

+1500% vs. current

Mary Esther

Importance: 0.26

43 species

+12% vs. current

About This Comparison

Ecosystem Overview

Biodiversity Highlights

Total Species

Documented wildlife species

Genus Diversity

Taxonomic genera represented

Common Species

Frequently observed species

Rare Species

Occasionally documented species

Regional Rank

Out of 7 locations

Species Distribution

Very Common10 species

Common15 species

Occasional14 species

Rare9 species

Regional Context

Regional Ranking

#2 of 7 locations

71th percentile for diversity

vs. Okaloosa County

-52% species diversity

Most Common Species

Showing 20 most frequently observed species out of 48 total documented species.

Harmonia axyridis

Harlequin ladybird

Very Common4 obs.

Perithemis tenera

Eastern Amberwing

Very Common2 obs.

Erythemis simplicicollis

Eastern Pondhawk

Very Common2 obs.

Oncometopia nigricans

black-winged sharpshooter

Very Common2 obs.

Ischnura ramburii

Rambur's Forktail

Very Common2 obs.

Chauliognathus marginatus

Common2 obs.

Bittacomorpha clavipes

Common1 obs.

Palpada vinetorum

Common1 obs.

Xylocopa virginica

Carpenter bee

Common1 obs.

Eudiagogus rosenschoeldi

Common1 obs.

Prosapia bicincta

Common1 obs.

Chalcodermus aeneus

Occasional1 obs.

Oncopeltus fasciatus

Large Milkweed Bug

Occasional1 obs.

Poecilanthrax lucifer

Occasional1 obs.

Phyciodes phaon

Phaon Crescent

Occasional1 obs.

Schistocerca obscura

Obscure Bird Grasshopper

Occasional1 obs.

Asphaera lustrans

Occasional1 obs.

Zelus cervicalis

Rare1 obs.

Charidotella sexpunctata

Golden Tortoise Beetle

Rare1 obs.

Psyllobora parvinotata

Small-spotted Psyllobora

Rare1 obs.

Want the Complete Field Guide?

Get all 48 species with 3-4 high-quality images each, detailed descriptions, and a downloadable PDF for offline use.

Premium field guide includes identification tips, seasonal patterns, and professional layout optimized for field use.