Defiance County

Known species county: 86
Total Observations county: 1,067
Population: 38,532
Area in Square Miles: 411
People per Square Mile: 93
Observations per Square Mile: 2.4
Percent of State Species: 50%
Percent of State Observations:
0.4%

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.

Defiance County Ohio

Observed Species

Common NameScientific NameDefiance TotalOhio TotalDefiance 2024Last Sighted
Eastern ForktailIschnura verticalis7315,992162024
Eastern AmberwingPerithemis tenera5410,88772024
Stream BluetEnallagma exsulans534,80372024
Eastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollis5216,365112024
Widow SkimmerLibellula luctuosa5011,93192024
Blue-fronted DancerArgia apicalis446,58442024
Flag-tailed SpinylegDromogomphus spoliatus4380902023
Violet DancerArgia fumipennis violacea367,55772024
Double-striped BluetEnallagma basidens365,34352024
Familiar BluetEnallagma civile356,17342024
Blue DasherPachydiplax longipennis3215,60132024
Powdered DancerArgia moesta295,14122024
Royal River CruiserMacromia taeniolata2759812024
Common WhitetailPlathemis lydia2612,02232024
Dusky ClubtailPhanogomphus spicatus2325802022
Lancet ClubtailPhanogomphus exilis221,80342024
Lance-tipped DarnerAeshna constricta2236101959
Prince BaskettailEpitheca princeps212,78852024
Orange BluetEnallagma signatum193,79122024
Twelve-spotted SkimmerLibellula pulchella183,74002023
Common Green DarnerAnax junius165,16012024
American RubyspotHetaerina americana164,44402021
Skimming BluetEnallagma geminatum153,83222024
Pronghorn ClubtailPhanogomphus graslinellus1550302023
Calico PennantCelithemis elisa143,19432024
Ruby MeadowhawkSympetrum rubicundulum1496501957
Common SanddragonProgomphus obscurus1216801946
Halloween PennantCelithemis eponina114,18722024
Autumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinum118,45602023
Blue-tipped DancerArgia tibialis114,49202023
Unicorn ClubtailArigomphus villosipes112,06502023
Fragile ForktailIschnura posita1013,19932024
Great Blue SkimmerLibellula vibrans950101946
Swamp DarnerEpiaeschna heros871502021
Handsome ClubtailGomphurus crassus820901943
Dot-tailed WhitefaceLeucorrhinia intacta71,70202023
Shadow DarnerAeshna umbrosa71,18702022
White-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum obtrusum730501962
Ebony JewelwingCalopteryx maculata68,60601957
Slaty SkimmerLibellula incesta64,92002020
Black SaddlebagsTramea lacerata63,38002021
Westfall's Slender BluetEnallagma traviatum westfalli62,36702018
Dusky DancerArgia translata61,68102023
Wandering GliderPantala flavescens61,52302019
Band-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum semicinctum693101957
Midland ClubtailGomphurus fraternus692702023
Fawn DarnerBoyeria vinosa651901984
Four-spotted SkimmerLibellula quadrimaculata629502023
Lilypad ClubtailArigomphus furcifer613701948
Spangled SkimmerLibellula cyanea51,19701944
Swift River CruiserMacromia illinoiensis576002020
Cyrano DarnerNasiaeschna pentacantha532102020
Slender SpreadwingLestes rectangularis43,90402021
Azure BluetEnallagma aspersum42,48802023
Cobra ClubtailGomphurus vastus447102021
Mocha EmeraldSomatochlora linearis420201960
Canada DarnerAeshna canadensis44101950
Wabash River CruiserMacromia wabashensis42501995
Vesper BluetEnallagma vesperum392201944
Black-shouldered SpinylegDromogomphus spinosus367101994
Emerald SpreadwingLestes dryas356701972
Marsh BluetEnallagma ebrium36601982
Blue-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum ambiguum21,45201962
Painted SkimmerLibellula semifasciata21,20801946
Citrine ForktailIschnura hastata296202021
Common BaskettailEpitheca cynosura287401999
Amber-winged SpreadwingLestes eurinus270602023
DragonhunterHagenius brevistylus258902021
Elegant SpreadwingLestes inaequalis258001944
Sweetflag SpreadwingLestes forcipatus251401972
Boreal BluetEnallagma boreale24401951
Blue-ringed DancerArgia sedula12,83701943
Carolina SaddlebagsTramea carolina11,26301994
Ashy ClubtailPhanogomphus lividus11,00902019
Banded PennantCelithemis fasciata186001994
Spotted SpreadwingLestes congener186001962
Swamp SpreadwingLestes vigilax160801972
Spot-winged GliderPantala hymenaea156201958
Rainbow BluetEnallagma antennatum148501949
Southern SpreadwingLestes australis128401946
Plains ClubtailGomphurus externus123602006
Lyre-tipped SpreadwingLestes unguiculatus121001950
Gilded River CruiserMacromia pacifica18801995
Hagen's BluetEnallagma hageni18501951
Skillet ClubtailGomphurus ventricosus12601950
Plains EmeraldSomatochlora ensigera11801993


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 NameScientific NameOhio ObsLocal Obs# of CountiesPeak Active
Comet DarnerAnax longipes605194mid Jun-mid Jul
Turquoise BluetEnallagma divagans91843May-Jun
Macromia HybridMacromia pacifica x taeniolata10052late Jul-mid Aug
Smoky RubyspotHetaerina titia377191early Sep
Lilypad ForktailIschnura kellicotti85851Jun-Sep
Spatterdock DarnerRhionaeschna mutata39651Jun
Springtime DarnerBasiaeschna janata37451May
Chalk-fronted CorporalLadona julia5931late May
Sedge SpriteNehalennia irene39621Jun
Delta-spotted SpiketailZoraena diastatops14221early Jun
Cherry-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum internum1421Sep
Arrow ClubtailStylurus spiniceps32111late Aug-early Sep
Red SaddlebagsTramea onusta14611Jun-Jul
Northern SpreadwingLestes disjunctus2411Jun-Aug
Saffron-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum costiferum2011Oct
Eastern Red DamselAmphiagrion saucium1,42000late May-early Jun
Great SpreadwingArchilestes grandis95900Sep
Aurora DamselChromagrion conditum57600late May-early Jun
Sphagnum SpriteNehalennia gracilis44300late Jun-early Jul
Russet-tipped ClubtailStylurus plagiatus39000Sep
Rapids ClubtailPhanogomphus quadricolor37700Jun
Rusty SnaketailOphiogomphus rupinsulensis34800Jun
Green-striped DarnerAeshna verticalis34200Sep
Arrowhead SpiketailZoraena obliqua18900late May-early Jun
Eastern RingtailErpetogomphus designatus17700Aug
Black-tipped DarnerAeshna tuberculifera16300late Aug-early Sep
Variegated MeadowhawkSympetrum corruptum14900Apr-Sep
Elusive ClubtailStylurus notatus13700Sep
River JewelwingCalopteryx aequabilis8100early Jun
Northern BluetEnallagma annexum7100Jun
Laura's ClubtailStylurus laurae5100late Jul-early Sep
Mottled DarnerAeshna clepsydra3100Sep
Hine's EmeraldSomatochlora hineana2400Jun
Riverine ClubtailStylurus amnicola1500Aug
Taiga BluetCoenagrion resolutum400
Georgia River CruiserMacromia illinoiensis georgina300
Variable DarnerAeshna interrupta100Sep

Defiance County is located on the Indiana border. With the exception of a triangle-shaped area in the NW corner within the Till Plains ecoregion, the majority of the county lies within the Maumee Lake Plains area of the Huron-Erie Lake Plains ecoregion, which was the location of the now mostly-drained and channelized Black Swamp. See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map.

Places to Visit

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