Van Wert County
Known species: 61
Total Observations: 1,017
Population: 28,459
Area in Square Miles: 409
People per Square Mile: 69
Observations per Square Mile: 2.0
Percent of State Species: 35%
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 | Van Wert Total | Ohio Total | Van Wert 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 89 | 11,931 | 21 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 87 | 6,584 | 23 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 79 | 15,992 | 9 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 75 | 6,173 | 10 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 69 | 12,022 | 13 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 68 | 10,887 | 19 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 63 | 16,365 | 11 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 43 | 4,492 | 10 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 36 | 5,343 | 2 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 32 | 3,740 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 28 | 15,601 | 2 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 27 | 7,557 | 3 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 23 | 4,803 | 10 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 22 | 1,681 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 21 | 13,199 | 2 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 20 | 2,065 | 8 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 18 | 5,160 | 7 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 18 | 3,380 | 6 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 17 | 4,187 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 16 | 1,523 | 5 | 2024 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 16 | 1,452 | 4 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 15 | 2,788 | 3 | 2024 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 15 | 562 | 1 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 14 | 3,904 | 4 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 9 | 3,791 | 0 | 2023 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 8 | 809 | 3 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 8 | 2,837 | 0 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 7 | 3,194 | 0 | 2022 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 6 | 598 | 3 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 5 | 5,141 | 2 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 5 | 8,456 | 0 | 2023 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 5 | 485 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 4 | 8,606 | 0 | 2022 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 4 | 931 | 0 | 2017 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 3 | 1,263 | 1 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 3 | 3,832 | 0 | 2023 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 3 | 503 | 0 | 1999 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 3 | 146 | 0 | 2023 |
| Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 3 | 115 | 0 | 2023 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 2 | 605 | 2 | 2024 |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 2 | 88 | 2 | 2024 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 2 | 321 | 1 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 2 | 4,920 | 0 | 2022 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 2 | 4,444 | 0 | 2018 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 2 | 962 | 0 | 2017 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 2 | 860 | 0 | 2023 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 2 | 210 | 0 | 1963 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 1 | 2,367 | 1 | 2024 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 1 | 760 | 1 | 2024 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 1 | 501 | 1 | 2024 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 1 | 2,488 | 0 | 2021 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1 | 1,208 | 0 | 1944 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1 | 1,187 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 1 | 965 | 0 | 1944 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 959 | 0 | 2023 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 1 | 671 | 0 | 1984 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 1 | 567 | 0 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 1 | 519 | 0 | 1988 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 1 | 514 | 0 | 1960 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 202 | 0 | 1960 |
| Plains Emerald | Somatochlora ensigera | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1961 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 874 | 9 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 918 | 5 | 4 | May-Jun |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 927 | 9 | 3 | late May-mid Jun |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 922 | 5 | 3 | Jun |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 715 | 6 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,702 | 4 | 1 | early Jun |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 706 | 3 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 608 | 3 | 1 | Jul |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 100 | 2 | 1 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1,803 | 1 | 1 | early Jun |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,197 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 580 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 396 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 374 | 1 | 1 | May |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 295 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1,009 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 589 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 576 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 569 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 471 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 396 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 390 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 377 | 0 | 0 | early Sep |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 361 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 342 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 284 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 236 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 177 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 168 | 0 | 0 | late Jun-mid Jul |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 0 | 0 | Apr-Sep |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 85 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Saffron-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum costiferum | 20 | 0 | 0 | Oct |
| Riverine Clubtail | Stylurus amnicola | 15 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 14 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Taiga Bluet | Coenagrion resolutum | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Georgia River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis georgina | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Van Wert County is on the western border of Ohio. The northern part 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. The southern part of the county is in the Till Plains ecoregion. See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map. Mostly flat, with deep ditches and farm fields, finding Van Wert Co Odonata is a challenge.
Places to Visit
Hiestand Park and Nature Preserve
Heistand is on the west side of Town Creek and north of the Van Wert Reservoirs. Also close is water treatment. The park has parking and restrooms. There is a walk throught the woods to the water treament area. 32 species recorded.
Willshire Village Park
Willshire is an old quarry. There is also a wetland to the northeast and the St Marys River is across the road to the west. The park has parking and some trails. No restrooms. This site has good diversity, including River Cruisers and Pond Clubtails. 39 species recorded.
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