Defiance County
Known species county: 86
Total Observations county: 974
Population: 38,532
Area in Square Miles: 411
People per Square Mile: 93
Observations per Square Mile: 2.4
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 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 57 | 13,326 | 7 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 47 | 8,819 | 6 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 46 | 4,097 | 8 | 2023 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 43 | 743 | 5 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 41 | 13,870 | 9 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 41 | 10,352 | 9 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 40 | 5,692 | 3 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 31 | 5,111 | 4 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 31 | 4,313 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 29 | 13,169 | 4 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 29 | 6,247 | 3 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 27 | 4,247 | 3 | 2023 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 26 | 536 | 0 | 2021 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 23 | 9,898 | 3 | 2023 |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 23 | 191 | 0 | 2022 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 22 | 358 | 0 | 1959 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 18 | 1,518 | 7 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 18 | 3,377 | 1 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 17 | 3,184 | 1 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 16 | 2,390 | 4 | 2023 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 16 | 3,761 | 0 | 2021 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 15 | 4,146 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 15 | 451 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 14 | 942 | 0 | 1957 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 13 | 3,109 | 0 | 2021 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 12 | 141 | 0 | 1946 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 11 | 6,971 | 2 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 11 | 2,752 | 2 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 11 | 3,785 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 11 | 1,687 | 1 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 9 | 3,628 | 2 | 2023 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 9 | 467 | 0 | 1946 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 8 | 620 | 0 | 2021 |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 8 | 170 | 0 | 1943 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 7 | 10,727 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 7 | 1,357 | 1 | 2023 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 7 | 1,031 | 0 | 2022 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 7 | 272 | 0 | 1962 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 6 | 285 | 6 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 6 | 1,376 | 1 | 2023 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 6 | 802 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 6 | 7,169 | 0 | 1957 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 6 | 4,032 | 0 | 2020 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 6 | 2,839 | 0 | 2021 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 6 | 1,991 | 0 | 2018 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 6 | 1,241 | 0 | 2019 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 6 | 860 | 0 | 1957 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 6 | 440 | 0 | 1984 |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 6 | 113 | 0 | 1948 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 5 | 1,037 | 0 | 1944 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 5 | 688 | 0 | 2020 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 5 | 277 | 0 | 2020 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 4 | 2,115 | 2 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 4 | 3,492 | 0 | 2021 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 4 | 377 | 0 | 2021 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 4 | 192 | 0 | 1960 |
| Canada Darner | Aeshna canadensis | 4 | 41 | 0 | 1950 |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 4 | 25 | 0 | 1995 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 3 | 740 | 0 | 1944 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 3 | 542 | 0 | 1994 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 3 | 479 | 0 | 1972 |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 3 | 66 | 0 | 1982 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 2 | 610 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 2 | 1,204 | 0 | 1962 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,056 | 0 | 1946 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 2 | 899 | 0 | 2021 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 748 | 0 | 1999 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 479 | 0 | 1944 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 2 | 443 | 0 | 1972 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 2 | 439 | 0 | 2021 |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 2 | 44 | 0 | 1951 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 1 | 2,364 | 0 | 1943 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 1 | 1,048 | 0 | 1994 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 874 | 0 | 2019 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1 | 731 | 0 | 1962 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 1 | 684 | 0 | 1994 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 1 | 544 | 0 | 1972 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 1 | 478 | 0 | 1958 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 1 | 458 | 0 | 1949 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 255 | 0 | 1946 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 1 | 189 | 0 | 2006 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 1 | 180 | 0 | 1950 |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 1 | 84 | 0 | 1951 |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 1 | 73 | 0 | 1995 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 515 | 17 | 4 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 768 | 4 | 3 | May-Jun |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 90 | 5 | 2 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 346 | 16 | 1 | early Sep |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 733 | 5 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 5 | 1 | Jun |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 298 | 5 | 1 | May |
| Chalk-fronted Corporal | Ladona julia | 59 | 3 | 1 | late May |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 359 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster diastatops | 131 | 2 | 1 | early Jun |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 14 | 2 | 1 | Sep |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Saffron-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum costiferum | 20 | 1 | 1 | Oct |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,230 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 824 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 471 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 370 | 0 | 0 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 262 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 245 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 172 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 150 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 141 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 0 | 0 | Apr-Sep |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 101 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| River Jewelwing | Calopteryx aequabilis | 77 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Northern Bluet | Enallagma annexum | 65 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 50 | 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 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