Darke County

Known species county: 76
Total Observations county: 1,818
Population: 52,376
Area in Square Miles: 598
People per Square Mile: 87
Observations per Square Mile: 3.0

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.

Darke County Ohio

Observed Species

Common NameScientific NameDarke TotalOhio TotalDarke 2023Last Sighted
Blue-tipped DancerArgia tibialis1123,785102023
Eastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollis10213,87042023
Widow SkimmerLibellula luctuosa9810,35292023
Stream BluetEnallagma exsulans794,097112023
Eastern ForktailIschnura verticalis7813,32652023
Blue DasherPachydiplax longipennis7813,16942023
Ebony JewelwingCalopteryx maculata777,16932023
Common WhitetailPlathemis lydia759,89872023
Fragile ForktailIschnura posita7010,72712023
Eastern AmberwingPerithemis tenera688,81962023
Flag-tailed SpinylegDromogomphus spoliatus5574362023
Blue-fronted DancerArgia apicalis545,69242023
Violet DancerArgia fumipennis violacea486,24742023
Halloween PennantCelithemis eponina473,62852023
Common Green DarnerAnax junius424,14622023
Double-striped BluetEnallagma basidens404,31312023
Slaty SkimmerLibellula incesta384,03232023
Blue-ringed DancerArgia sedula382,36422023
Prince BaskettailEpitheca princeps362,39022023
Black SaddlebagsTramea lacerata332,83922023
Powdered DancerArgia moesta324,24722023
Calico PennantCelithemis elisa292,75252023
Slender SpreadwingLestes rectangularis293,49222023
Twelve-spotted SkimmerLibellula pulchella293,37722023
American RubyspotHetaerina americana263,76122023
Skimming BluetEnallagma geminatum263,10922023
Autumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinum216,97102021
Gilded River CruiserMacromia pacifica207332023
Ashy ClubtailPhanogomphus lividus1987432023
Turquoise BluetEnallagma divagans1976802022
Familiar BluetEnallagma civile185,11112023
Blue-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum ambiguum171,20412023
Fawn DarnerBoyeria vinosa1744002005
Swamp SpreadwingLestes vigilax1654422023
Shadow DarnerAeshna umbrosa161,03102022
Black-shouldered SpinylegDromogomphus spinosus1454222023
Westfall's Slender BluetEnallagma traviatum westfalli121,99122023
Unicorn ClubtailArigomphus villosipes121,68722023
Midland ClubtailGomphurus fraternus1280212023
Wandering GliderPantala flavescens121,24102021
DragonhunterHagenius brevistylus1143922023
Emerald SpreadwingLestes dryas1147902022
Lilypad ForktailIschnura kellicotti1073322023
Lancet ClubtailPhanogomphus exilis101,51802021
Ruby MeadowhawkSympetrum rubicundulum994202021
Dot-tailed WhitefaceLeucorrhinia intacta81,35712023
Orange BluetEnallagma signatum73,18412023
Carolina SaddlebagsTramea carolina71,04802021
Swift River CruiserMacromia illinoiensis668802021
Pronghorn ClubtailPhanogomphus graslinellus645102022
Common BaskettailEpitheca cynosura574812023
Swamp DarnerEpiaeschna heros562002021
Azure BluetEnallagma aspersum42,11512023
Citrine ForktailIschnura hastata489902021
Cyrano DarnerNasiaeschna pentacantha327712023
Painted SkimmerLibellula semifasciata31,05602016
Royal River CruiserMacromia taeniolata353602021
Aurora DamselChromagrion conditum347102022
Rainbow BluetEnallagma antennatum345802021
Rapids ClubtailPhanogomphus quadricolor328702021
Spangled SkimmerLibellula cyanea21,03702022
Spot-winged GliderPantala hymenaea247802017
Great Blue SkimmerLibellula vibrans246702021
Arrow ClubtailStylurus spiniceps230502005
Handsome ClubtailGomphurus crassus217002022
Macromia HybridMacromia pacifica x taeniolata29002020
Four-spotted SkimmerLibellula quadrimaculata128512023
Band-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum semicinctum186001959
Vesper BluetEnallagma vesperum174002022
Spotted SpreadwingLestes congener173102020
Comet DarnerAnax longipes151502019
Tule BluetEnallagma carunculatum149801943
Springtime DarnerBasiaeschna janata129802019
White-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum obtrusum127201960
Plains ClubtailGomphurus externus118901990
Lyre-tipped SpreadwingLestes unguiculatus118001960
Dusky DancerArgia translata11,37612019


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
Jade ClubtailArigomphus submedianus1061035late Jun-late Aug
Blue CorporalLadona deplanata4461033May
Cobra ClubtailGomphurus vastus377953Jun
Banded PennantCelithemis fasciata684803Jul
Gray PetaltailTachopteryx thoreyi390403Jun
Sweetflag SpreadwingLestes forcipatus443343Jul-Aug
Amber-winged SpreadwingLestes eurinus610173Jun-Jul
Southern SpreadwingLestes australis255163May
Arrowhead SpiketailCordulegaster obliqua172143late May-early Jun
Red SaddlebagsTramea onusta145113Jun-Jul
Great SpreadwingArchilestes grandis824452Sep
Eastern RingtailErpetogomphus designatus150262Aug
Eastern Red DamselAmphiagrion saucium1,230242late May-early Jun
Slender BaskettailEpitheca costalis1942late May
Spatterdock DarnerRhionaeschna mutata33532Jun
Mocha EmeraldSomatochlora linearis19222late Jun-late Aug
Paiute DancerArgia alberta347311Jun
Seepage DancerArgia bipunctulata1,028211Jun-Jul
Swift SetwingDythemis velox340181Jul-Aug
Russet-tipped ClubtailStylurus plagiatus307121Sep
Brown SpiketailCordulegaster bilineata21651late May-early Jun
Golden-winged SkimmerLibellula auripennis4441late Jun
Variegated MeadowhawkSympetrum corruptum11731Apr-Sep
Sedge SpriteNehalennia irene35911Jun
Clamp-tipped EmeraldSomatochlora tenebrosa20811Aug
Northern SpreadwingLestes disjunctus2411Jun-Aug
Elfin SkimmerNannothemis bella48500Jun-Jul
Lance-tipped DarnerAeshna constricta35800Sep
Green-striped DarnerAeshna verticalis26200Sep
Skillet ClubtailGomphurus ventricosus2600Jun
Wabash River CruiserMacromia wabashensis2500Aug

Darke County is located along the Indiana border, in the Till Plains ecoregion. Darke Co is a large county, the major land use is agriculture. Darke Co has the headwaters for Stillwater River, Greenville Creek, and a number of small feeders for the Wabash River and the Mississinewa River. Greenville Creek joins the Stillwater in Miami Co, and are tributaries of the Great Miami River. The Wabash flows north, the Mississinewa flows west into Indiana.

Places to Visit

  • Darke Co Wildlife Area

    DCWA has 6 small lakes and ponds. These are all fishing spots. Expect the typical stillwater skimmers and damselflies. 35 species are recorded for the area. There is good off-road parking and mowed paths. There are no restrooms.

  • Greenville Creek

    • Greenville Creek is a high quality stream with a number of access points. Several Clubtail and River Cruiser species can be seen in season. Stillwater River Water Trail Map shows access points, and facilities for Greenville Creek

    • A popular stop is Bear's Mill, good viewing from the dam area. Good parking and restrooms when the Mill is open. Bear's Mill is now part of Darke Co Parks.

    • Alice Bish Park has access to Greenville Creek with parking and walking paths.

  • Shawnee Prairie Preserve

    Shawnee Prairie has a wet prairie area and access to Mud Creek. Beaver Wetlands is nearby. Diverse habitat supports a diverse Odonata mix. 29 species have been found here. Shawnee Prairies is part of Darke Co Parks. There is parking and restrooms.

County Observation Activity

This graph shows the total number of odonata observations for the county in brown, with the average for all Ohio counties in blue. The season is divided into 10 or 11 day segments by Month – basically early-month, mid-month, and late-month.

Page updated 21 February 2024