Defiance County
Known species county: 87
Total Observations county: 1,119
Population: 38,532
Area in Square Miles: 411
People per Square Mile: 93
Observations per Square Mile: 2.4
Percent of State Species: 50%
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 | Defiance Total | Ohio Total | Defiance 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 78 | 18,549 | 5 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 58 | 12,693 | 4 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 57 | 19,534 | 5 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 55 | 5,543 | 2 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 53 | 14,355 | 3 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 50 | 7,716 | 6 | 2025 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 48 | 939 | 5 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 38 | 6,256 | 2 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 37 | 8,693 | 1 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 35 | 7,430 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 33 | 18,692 | 1 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 30 | 14,243 | 4 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 30 | 6,026 | 1 | 2025 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 27 | 679 | 0 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 26 | 2,034 | 4 | 2025 |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 23 | 298 | 0 | 2022 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 22 | 3,264 | 1 | 2025 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 22 | 363 | 0 | 1959 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 19 | 4,380 | 0 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 18 | 4,080 | 0 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 16 | 6,289 | 0 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 16 | 5,250 | 0 | 2021 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 15 | 4,461 | 0 | 2024 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 15 | 566 | 0 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 14 | 3,706 | 0 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 14 | 991 | 0 | 1957 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 13 | 5,028 | 2 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 12 | 10,593 | 1 | 2025 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 12 | 171 | 0 | 1946 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 11 | 15,432 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 11 | 5,374 | 0 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 11 | 2,314 | 0 | 2023 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 9 | 513 | 0 | 1946 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 8 | 849 | 0 | 2021 |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 8 | 226 | 0 | 1943 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 7 | 1,012 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 7 | 1,915 | 0 | 2023 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 7 | 1,353 | 0 | 2022 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 7 | 383 | 0 | 1962 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 6 | 10,084 | 0 | 1957 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 6 | 5,911 | 0 | 2020 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 6 | 4,110 | 0 | 2021 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 6 | 2,589 | 0 | 2018 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 6 | 1,962 | 0 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 6 | 1,903 | 0 | 2019 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 6 | 1,106 | 0 | 1957 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 6 | 615 | 0 | 1984 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 6 | 297 | 0 | 2023 |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 6 | 153 | 0 | 1948 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 5 | 1,304 | 0 | 1944 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 5 | 837 | 0 | 2020 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 5 | 366 | 0 | 2020 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 4 | 4,797 | 0 | 2021 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 4 | 2,863 | 0 | 2023 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 4 | 486 | 0 | 2021 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 4 | 263 | 0 | 1960 |
| Canada Darner | Aeshna canadensis | 4 | 41 | 0 | 1950 |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 4 | 25 | 0 | 1995 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 3 | 729 | 1 | 2025 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 3 | 999 | 0 | 1944 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 3 | 763 | 0 | 1994 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 3 | 708 | 0 | 1972 |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 3 | 66 | 0 | 1982 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 2 | 1,444 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 2 | 1,926 | 0 | 1962 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,355 | 0 | 1946 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 2 | 1,238 | 0 | 2021 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 1,067 | 0 | 1999 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 2 | 759 | 0 | 2023 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 616 | 0 | 1944 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 2 | 605 | 0 | 1972 |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 2 | 49 | 0 | 1951 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 724 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 1 | 3,416 | 0 | 1943 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 1,150 | 0 | 2019 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1 | 1,069 | 0 | 1962 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 1 | 977 | 0 | 1994 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 1 | 706 | 0 | 1972 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 1 | 667 | 0 | 1958 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 1 | 540 | 0 | 1949 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 329 | 0 | 1946 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 1 | 247 | 0 | 1950 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 1 | 244 | 0 | 2006 |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 1 | 92 | 0 | 1995 |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 1 | 85 | 0 | 1951 |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 1 | 26 | 0 | 1950 |
| Plains Emerald | Somatochlora ensigera | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1993 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1,043 | 5 | 4 | May-Jun |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 199 | 4 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 110 | 5 | 2 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 421 | 21 | 1 | early Sep |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 466 | 6 | 1 | May |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 6 | 1 | Jun |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 961 | 5 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 5 | 1 | Jun |
| Chalk-fronted Corporal | Ladona julia | 59 | 3 | 1 | late May |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena diastatops | 150 | 2 | 1 | early Jun |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 14 | 2 | 1 | Sep |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Saffron-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum costiferum | 20 | 1 | 1 | Oct |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,600 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1,133 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 706 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 514 | 0 | 0 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 461 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 428 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 395 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 240 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 207 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 205 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 181 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 0 | 0 | Apr-Sep |
| Northern Bluet | Enallagma annexum | 82 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| River Jewelwing | Calopteryx aequabilis | 81 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 52 | 0 | 0 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Mottled Darner | Aeshna clepsydra | 31 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Hine's Emerald | Somatochlora hineana | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Riverine Clubtail | Stylurus amnicola | 15 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Taiga Bluet | Coenagrion resolutum | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Georgia River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis georgina | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Variable Darner | Aeshna interrupta | 1 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
Defiance County is located on the Indiana border. With the exception of a triangle-shaped area in the NW corner within the Till Plains ecoregion, the majority 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. See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map.
Places to Visit
Maumee River Water Trail. Map shows parkland, water access points, and facilities.
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