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.
Observed Species
Common Name | Scientific Name | Darke Total | Ohio Total | Darke 2023 | Last Sighted |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 112 | 3,785 | 10 | 2023 |
Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 102 | 13,870 | 4 | 2023 |
Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 98 | 10,352 | 9 | 2023 |
Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 79 | 4,097 | 11 | 2023 |
Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 78 | 13,326 | 5 | 2023 |
Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 78 | 13,169 | 4 | 2023 |
Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 77 | 7,169 | 3 | 2023 |
Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 75 | 9,898 | 7 | 2023 |
Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 70 | 10,727 | 1 | 2023 |
Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 68 | 8,819 | 6 | 2023 |
Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 55 | 743 | 6 | 2023 |
Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 54 | 5,692 | 4 | 2023 |
Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 48 | 6,247 | 4 | 2023 |
Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 47 | 3,628 | 5 | 2023 |
Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 42 | 4,146 | 2 | 2023 |
Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 40 | 4,313 | 1 | 2023 |
Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 38 | 4,032 | 3 | 2023 |
Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 38 | 2,364 | 2 | 2023 |
Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 36 | 2,390 | 2 | 2023 |
Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 33 | 2,839 | 2 | 2023 |
Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 32 | 4,247 | 2 | 2023 |
Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 29 | 2,752 | 5 | 2023 |
Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 29 | 3,492 | 2 | 2023 |
Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 29 | 3,377 | 2 | 2023 |
American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 26 | 3,761 | 2 | 2023 |
Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 26 | 3,109 | 2 | 2023 |
Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 21 | 6,971 | 0 | 2021 |
Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 20 | 73 | 3 | 2023 |
Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 19 | 874 | 3 | 2023 |
Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 19 | 768 | 0 | 2022 |
Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 18 | 5,111 | 1 | 2023 |
Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 17 | 1,204 | 1 | 2023 |
Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 17 | 440 | 0 | 2005 |
Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 16 | 544 | 2 | 2023 |
Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 16 | 1,031 | 0 | 2022 |
Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 14 | 542 | 2 | 2023 |
Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 12 | 1,991 | 2 | 2023 |
Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 12 | 1,687 | 2 | 2023 |
Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 12 | 802 | 1 | 2023 |
Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 12 | 1,241 | 0 | 2021 |
Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 11 | 439 | 2 | 2023 |
Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 11 | 479 | 0 | 2022 |
Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 10 | 733 | 2 | 2023 |
Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 10 | 1,518 | 0 | 2021 |
Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 9 | 942 | 0 | 2021 |
Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 8 | 1,357 | 1 | 2023 |
Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 7 | 3,184 | 1 | 2023 |
Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 7 | 1,048 | 0 | 2021 |
Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 6 | 688 | 0 | 2021 |
Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 6 | 451 | 0 | 2022 |
Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 5 | 748 | 1 | 2023 |
Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 5 | 620 | 0 | 2021 |
Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 4 | 2,115 | 1 | 2023 |
Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 4 | 899 | 0 | 2021 |
Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 3 | 277 | 1 | 2023 |
Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 3 | 1,056 | 0 | 2016 |
Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 3 | 536 | 0 | 2021 |
Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 3 | 471 | 0 | 2022 |
Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 3 | 458 | 0 | 2021 |
Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 3 | 287 | 0 | 2021 |
Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 2 | 1,037 | 0 | 2022 |
Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 2 | 478 | 0 | 2017 |
Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 2 | 467 | 0 | 2021 |
Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 2 | 305 | 0 | 2005 |
Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 2 | 170 | 0 | 2022 |
Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 2 | 90 | 0 | 2020 |
Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 1 | 285 | 1 | 2023 |
Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 860 | 0 | 1959 |
Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 740 | 0 | 2022 |
Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1 | 731 | 0 | 2020 |
Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 515 | 0 | 2019 |
Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 1 | 498 | 0 | 1943 |
Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 1 | 298 | 0 | 2019 |
White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 1 | 272 | 0 | 1960 |
Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 1 | 189 | 0 | 1990 |
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 1 | 180 | 0 | 1960 |
Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 1 | 1,376 | 1 | 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 106 | 103 | 5 | late Jun-late Aug |
Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 446 | 103 | 3 | May |
Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 95 | 3 | Jun |
Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 684 | 80 | 3 | Jul |
Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 390 | 40 | 3 | Jun |
Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 443 | 34 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 17 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 255 | 16 | 3 | May |
Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 172 | 14 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 11 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 824 | 45 | 2 | Sep |
Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 150 | 26 | 2 | Aug |
Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,230 | 24 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 19 | 4 | 2 | late May |
Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 3 | 2 | Jun |
Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 192 | 2 | 2 | late Jun-late Aug |
Paiute Dancer | Argia alberta | 347 | 31 | 1 | Jun |
Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,028 | 21 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 340 | 18 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 12 | 1 | Sep |
Brown Spiketail | Cordulegaster bilineata | 216 | 5 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 4 | 1 | late Jun |
Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 3 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 359 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
Elfin Skimmer | Nannothemis bella | 485 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 262 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
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
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 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