Allen County
Known species county: 60
Total Observations county: 1,132
Population: 105,298
Area in Square Miles: 407
People per Square Mile: 259
Observations per Square Mile: 2.3
Percent of State Species: 34%
Percent of State Observations: .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.
Observed Species
Common Name![]() | Scientific Name![]() | Allen Total![]() | Ohio Total![]() | Allen 2025![]() | Last Sighted![]() |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 96 | 18,549 | 9 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 93 | 19,534 | 8 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 77 | 18,692 | 8 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 72 | 12,693 | 9 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 71 | 14,355 | 5 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 49 | 7,430 | 3 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 47 | 15,432 | 3 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 45 | 14,243 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 43 | 7,716 | 7 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 42 | 4,380 | 6 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 37 | 6,289 | 2 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 36 | 10,084 | 0 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 25 | 5,028 | 2 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 24 | 10,593 | 3 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 24 | 5,250 | 2 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 23 | 8,693 | 1 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 23 | 6,256 | 1 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 22 | 3,264 | 3 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 20 | 4,797 | 1 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 20 | 4,110 | 1 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 20 | 3,706 | 1 | 2025 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 19 | 2,314 | 1 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 19 | 6,026 | 0 | 2021 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 17 | 4,461 | 0 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 16 | 1,962 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 16 | 5,374 | 1 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 15 | 2,589 | 1 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 15 | 5,543 | 0 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 14 | 4,080 | 1 | 2025 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 12 | 939 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 9 | 3,416 | 1 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 7 | 5,911 | 0 | 2020 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 5 | 1,444 | 0 | 2024 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 5 | 1,067 | 0 | 2021 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 5 | 849 | 0 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 4 | 1,903 | 2 | 2025 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 4 | 615 | 1 | 2025 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 4 | 1,353 | 0 | 2024 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 4 | 708 | 0 | 2018 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 3 | 999 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 3 | 991 | 0 | 1958 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 3 | 837 | 0 | 2023 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 3 | 706 | 0 | 2019 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 3 | 540 | 0 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 2 | 2,863 | 0 | 2018 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 2 | 1,012 | 0 | 2015 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 724 | 1 | 2025 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 1 | 366 | 1 | 2025 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 1 | 1,238 | 0 | 2018 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 1,133 | 0 | 2023 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 1,106 | 0 | 1959 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1 | 1,069 | 0 | 2022 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 1,043 | 0 | 2019 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 1 | 763 | 0 | 1967 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 1 | 679 | 0 | 2024 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 1 | 605 | 0 | 1960 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 566 | 0 | 1950 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 1 | 466 | 0 | 2024 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 1 | 297 | 0 | 2023 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 263 | 0 | 2019 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1,926 | 63 | 4 | late Aug-mid Sep |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 667 | 16 | 4 | Jul |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 513 | 21 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 199 | 5 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 4 | 3 | Sep |
| Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 124 | 25 | 2 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 247 | 18 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,915 | 15 | 2 | early Jun |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 2,034 | 8 | 2 | early Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 5 | 2 | Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 92 | 5 | 2 | late Jul |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1,355 | 4 | 2 | May |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 616 | 20 | 1 | Jun |
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | 21 | 19 | 1 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 6 | 1 | Jun |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 110 | 5 | 1 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 329 | 3 | 1 | May |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 244 | 2 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 28 | 2 | 1 | late May |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,304 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1,150 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 759 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 685 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 461 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 363 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Saffron-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum costiferum | 20 | 0 | 0 | Oct |
| Plains Emerald | Somatochlora ensigera | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 14 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
With the exception of a small area in the NW corner within the Huron-Lake Plains, the rest of Allen County is within the Till Plains ecoregion. 73% of the county is farmland. The county is almost entirely within the Lake Erie Watershed (See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map).
Places to Visit
MTBP is part of the Johnny Appleseed Metro Park District. There are two small ponds and a larger lake. Parking is in the main lot. Restrooms are on site. A mowed walking path leads around the property. Normal pond species are found at all the water spots. 34 species recorded.
Lima Reservoirs
Lima Reservoir, Ferguson Reservoir, Metzger Reservoir, and Lost Creek Reservoir are all in close proximity on the east side of Lima. They are fishing locations and water sources. They all have relatively steep banks with limited shoreline access. All have multiple parking locations. 21 species.
Williams Reservoir and Bresler Reservoir are 4 miles west of Lima. These are upground reservoirs - acres of water with steep embankments. Water is pumped from the Auglaize River. These reservoirs also have multiple parking areas.
Bluffton Lakes
Cobb Lake and Buckeye Lake are both part of the city park in Bluffton. Both host skimmer and pond damsel populations. There is parking and walk paths. Water access is somewhat limited. 22 species.
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: 8 January 2026
