Highland County
Known species: 68
Total Observations: 1.018
Population: 43,299
Area in Square Miles: 553
People per Square Mile: 78
Observations per Square Mile: 1.6
Percent of State Species: 39%
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.
Observed Species
Common Name | Scientific Name | Highland Total | Ohio Total | Highland 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 72 | 15,992 | 15 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 69 | 11,931 | 11 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 66 | 16,365 | 9 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 60 | 15,601 | 12 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 56 | 10,887 | 11 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 50 | 12,022 | 9 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 48 | 6,584 | 4 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 47 | 13,199 | 4 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 40 | 3,380 | 13 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 39 | 5,343 | 6 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 33 | 8,606 | 3 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 32 | 4,187 | 12 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 30 | 5,160 | 7 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 24 | 2,788 | 2 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 23 | 4,803 | 0 | 2023 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 22 | 3,832 | 1 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 21 | 3,791 | 3 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 21 | 4,920 | 2 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 20 | 6,173 | 4 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 19 | 7,557 | 1 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 14 | 1,263 | 3 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 14 | 3,904 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 14 | 4,492 | 0 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 14 | 3,740 | 0 | 2022 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 14 | 519 | 0 | 2022 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 11 | 962 | 0 | 2022 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 10 | 3,194 | 2 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 10 | 2,837 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 10 | 1,681 | 1 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 10 | 5,141 | 0 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 10 | 2,488 | 0 | 2022 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 8 | 4,444 | 2 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 8 | 2,367 | 2 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 7 | 8,456 | 0 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 6 | 1,523 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 6 | 1,452 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 5 | 601 | 1 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 4 | 2,065 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 4 | 965 | 0 | 2018 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 4 | 446 | 0 | 2018 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 3 | 1,197 | 1 | 2024 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 3 | 605 | 1 | 2024 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 3 | 860 | 0 | 2017 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 2 | 760 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 2 | 514 | 1 | 2024 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,208 | 0 | 2019 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 2 | 927 | 0 | 2018 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 874 | 0 | 2023 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 2 | 671 | 0 | 2019 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 2 | 598 | 0 | 2022 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 2 | 485 | 0 | 1934 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 284 | 0 | 2017 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1 | 1,803 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1 | 1,702 | 0 | 1961 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1 | 1,420 | 0 | 1899 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 1,009 | 0 | 1898 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 922 | 0 | 2018 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 918 | 0 | 1934 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 1 | 809 | 0 | 2017 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 1 | 715 | 0 | 2018 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 589 | 0 | 2005 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 1 | 576 | 0 | 1898 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 1 | 396 | 0 | 1899 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 1 | 329 | 0 | 2002 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 1 | 321 | 0 | 2017 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 1 | 146 | 0 | 2017 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 1 | 126 | 0 | 2000 |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 1 | 24 | 0 | 2018 |
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 | 16 | 5 | Sep-Oct |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 562 | 9 | 5 | Jul |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 501 | 12 | 4 | Jun-Jul |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 860 | 57 | 3 | Jul |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 706 | 35 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 189 | 21 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 374 | 17 | 3 | May |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 959 | 14 | 3 | Sep |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 140 | 19 | 2 | May |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 18 | 2 | Aug |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 377 | 6 | 2 | Jun |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 202 | 5 | 2 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 503 | 3 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 209 | 3 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 608 | 2 | 2 | Jul |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 236 | 2 | 2 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 2 | 2 | Apr-Sep |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 2 | 2 | Jul |
| Yellow-sided Skimmer | Libellula flavida | 102 | 96 | 1 | late Jul |
| Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,230 | 48 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 16 | 1 | late Jun |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 168 | 10 | 1 | late Jun-mid Jul |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 63 | 9 | 1 | May |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 471 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 45 | 4 | 1 | late Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 443 | 3 | 1 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 3 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 295 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 5 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 240 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 95 | 2 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 580 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 569 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 567 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 396 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 390 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 377 | 1 | 1 | early Sep |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 348 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 342 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 163 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 98 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 931 | 0 | 0 | Jul-Aug |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 361 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 210 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 137 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 53 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
The Allegheny Escarpment closely parallels the eastern boundary of Highland County, placing the entire county within and at the eastern edge of the Till Plains ecoregion.
Places to Visit
Fallsville Wildlife Area is a 1,785-acre state wildlife area located 7 miles north of Hillsboro. 41 odonate species have been observed here.
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