Crawford County
Known species county: 69
Total Observations county: 1,205
Population: 42,808
Area in Square Miles: 403
People per Square Mile: 106
Observations per Square Mile: 2.7
Percent of State Species: 40%
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 | Crawford Total | Ohio Total | Crawford 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 107 | 18,549 | 12 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 75 | 14,243 | 18 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 66 | 18,692 | 5 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 59 | 8,693 | 1 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 58 | 19,534 | 7 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 56 | 15,432 | 6 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 54 | 4,797 | 3 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 53 | 5,374 | 0 | 2024 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 49 | 708 | 1 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 44 | 14,355 | 7 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 38 | 12,693 | 3 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 37 | 10,593 | 7 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 36 | 10,084 | 2 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 31 | 6,026 | 0 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 28 | 4,080 | 1 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 26 | 2,863 | 4 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 24 | 6,289 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 23 | 7,716 | 2 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 21 | 5,543 | 1 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 21 | 5,028 | 1 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 18 | 5,911 | 2 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 18 | 7,430 | 0 | 2021 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 17 | 5,250 | 0 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 15 | 2,314 | 0 | 2023 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 13 | 1,915 | 2 | 2025 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 13 | 615 | 0 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 12 | 3,264 | 0 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 10 | 6,256 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 10 | 3,416 | 0 | 2022 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 9 | 4,461 | 1 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 9 | 2,589 | 1 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 9 | 3,706 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 9 | 849 | 0 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 8 | 4,380 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 8 | 991 | 0 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 7 | 1,238 | 1 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 7 | 4,110 | 0 | 2021 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 7 | 1,067 | 0 | 2024 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 7 | 706 | 0 | 2023 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 7 | 247 | 0 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 6 | 1,444 | 0 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 6 | 1,353 | 0 | 2023 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 6 | 1,043 | 0 | 2023 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 5 | 2,034 | 0 | 2023 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 5 | 999 | 0 | 2024 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 5 | 837 | 0 | 2023 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 4 | 724 | 2 | 2025 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 4 | 1,106 | 1 | 2025 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 4 | 605 | 1 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 4 | 1,903 | 0 | 2021 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 4 | 1,355 | 0 | 2024 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 4 | 706 | 0 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 3 | 1,962 | 0 | 2019 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 3 | 679 | 0 | 2021 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 3 | 297 | 0 | 2023 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 2 | 466 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 2 | 1,926 | 0 | 2019 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 2 | 513 | 0 | 2019 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 2 | 414 | 0 | 2019 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 329 | 0 | 2019 |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 2 | 298 | 0 | 2021 |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 2 | 28 | 0 | 2021 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 1,150 | 0 | 1992 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 1,133 | 0 | 2024 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 1 | 763 | 0 | 1937 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 1 | 696 | 0 | 2022 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 1 | 616 | 0 | 2023 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 1 | 540 | 0 | 1896 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 1 | 207 | 0 | 2021 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 939 | 17 | 5 | late Jul |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1,069 | 7 | 4 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 759 | 19 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 366 | 8 | 3 | mid Jun |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 729 | 4 | 3 | mid Jun |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 667 | 3 | 3 | Jul |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 6 | 2 | Jun |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 181 | 5 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 395 | 3 | 2 | Sep |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 566 | 2 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 2 | 2 | Aug |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 685 | 18 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 3 | 1 | Sep |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 382 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena diastatops | 150 | 2 | 1 | early Jun |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1,012 | 1 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 961 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 592 | 1 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 263 | 1 | 1 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 199 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 110 | 1 | 1 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 92 | 1 | 1 | late Jul |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 46 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | 21 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,600 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 363 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 244 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 134 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Crawford County is located in the Till Plain ecoregion. Most of the county is within the Lake Erie watershed, but the southern part of the county drains to the south. The headwaters of the Sandusky River are located in the county’s SE corner, and it flows westward across the county before turning north in neighboring Wyandot County. The headwaters of the Olentangy River are located in Morrow County, alternating twice between northern and southern flows within Crawford County before turning almost due south and exiting the county in the center of its southern border. The Little Scioto River originates further west. flowing in parallel with the Olentangy before their eventual meeting in Franklin County.
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