Highland County
Known species: 68
Total Observations: 877
Population: 43,299
Area in Square Miles: 553
People per Square Mile: 78
Observations per Square Mile: 1.6
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 | Highland Total | Ohio Total | Highland 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 58 | 10,352 | 6 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 57 | 13,326 | 9 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 56 | 13,870 | 6 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 48 | 13,169 | 4 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 45 | 8,819 | 8 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 44 | 5,692 | 5 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 43 | 10,727 | 5 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 41 | 9,898 | 11 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 33 | 4,313 | 8 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 30 | 7,169 | 3 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 27 | 2,839 | 6 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 23 | 4,146 | 5 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 23 | 4,097 | 1 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 22 | 2,390 | 3 | 2023 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 21 | 3,109 | 1 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 20 | 3,628 | 1 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 19 | 4,032 | 2 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 18 | 3,184 | 4 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 18 | 6,247 | 3 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 16 | 5,111 | 5 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 14 | 3,785 | 3 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 14 | 3,377 | 0 | 2022 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 14 | 440 | 0 | 2022 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 13 | 3,492 | 1 | 2023 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 11 | 1,048 | 1 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 11 | 899 | 0 | 2022 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 10 | 4,247 | 1 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 10 | 2,115 | 0 | 2022 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 9 | 2,364 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 9 | 1,376 | 0 | 2022 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 8 | 2,752 | 2 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 7 | 6,971 | 2 | 2023 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 6 | 1,991 | 2 | 2023 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 6 | 3,761 | 0 | 2019 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 5 | 1,204 | 0 | 2022 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 4 | 942 | 0 | 2018 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 4 | 446 | 0 | 2019 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 4 | 390 | 0 | 2018 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 3 | 731 | 0 | 2017 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 748 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 2 | 1,687 | 0 | 2021 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 2 | 1,241 | 0 | 2019 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,056 | 0 | 2019 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 2 | 1,037 | 0 | 1986 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 2 | 802 | 0 | 2018 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 2 | 542 | 0 | 2019 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 2 | 536 | 0 | 2022 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 2 | 515 | 0 | 2021 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 2 | 458 | 0 | 1934 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 255 | 0 | 2017 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1 | 1,518 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1 | 1,357 | 0 | 1961 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1 | 1,230 | 0 | 1899 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 874 | 0 | 1898 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 768 | 0 | 1934 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 1 | 743 | 0 | 2017 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 740 | 0 | 2018 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 1 | 688 | 0 | 2020 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 1 | 620 | 0 | 2018 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 1 | 471 | 0 | 1898 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 1 | 443 | 0 | 2017 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 439 | 0 | 2005 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 1 | 359 | 0 | 1899 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 1 | 277 | 0 | 2017 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 1 | 262 | 0 | 2002 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 1 | 145 | 0 | 2017 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 1 | 106 | 0 | 2000 |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 1 | 24 | 0 | 2018 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1,031 | 16 | 5 | Sep-Oct |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 478 | 9 | 5 | Jul |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 467 | 12 | 4 | Jun-Jul |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 684 | 48 | 3 | Jul |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 31 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 172 | 19 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 298 | 16 | 3 | May |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 824 | 14 | 3 | Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 18 | 2 | Aug |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 121 | 14 | 2 | May |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 192 | 5 | 2 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 4 | 2 | Jun |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 451 | 3 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 170 | 3 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 189 | 2 | 2 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 2 | 2 | Apr-Sep |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 2 | 2 | Jul |
| Yellow-sided Skimmer | Libellula flavida | 92 | 86 | 1 | late Jul |
| Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,028 | 40 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 16 | 1 | late Jun |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 141 | 10 | 1 | late Jun-mid Jul |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 55 | 8 | 1 | May |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 4 | 1 | late Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 370 | 3 | 1 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 3 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 285 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 5 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Brown Spiketail | Cordulegaster bilineata | 216 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 544 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 498 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 479 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 346 | 1 | 1 | early Sep |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 262 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 245 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 141 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster maculata | 90 | 1 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 59 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 860 | 0 | 0 | Jul-Aug |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 180 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 101 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 50 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
The Allegheny Escarpment closely parallels the eastern boundary of Highland County, placing the entire county within and at the eastern edge of the Till Plains ecoregion.
Places to Visit
Fallsville Wildlife Area is a 1,785-acre state wildlife area located 7 miles north of Hillsboro. 40 odonate species have been observed here.
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 18 January 2024