Highland County
Known species: 68
Total Observations: 1,093
Population: 43,299
Area in Square Miles: 553
People per Square Mile: 78
Observations per Square Mile: 1.6
Percent of State Species: 39%
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 | Highland Total | Ohio Total | Highland 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 75 | 14,355 | 6 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 74 | 19,534 | 8 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 74 | 18,549 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 65 | 18,692 | 5 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 61 | 14,243 | 11 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 58 | 12,693 | 2 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 53 | 15,432 | 5 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 49 | 7,716 | 1 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 48 | 6,256 | 6 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 41 | 4,110 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 37 | 10,084 | 4 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 33 | 5,028 | 1 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 30 | 6,289 | 0 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 24 | 4,461 | 2 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 24 | 3,264 | 0 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 23 | 5,543 | 0 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 22 | 5,911 | 1 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 21 | 7,430 | 1 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 21 | 4,380 | 0 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 20 | 8,693 | 1 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 15 | 4,797 | 1 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 14 | 3,706 | 4 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 14 | 5,374 | 0 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 14 | 4,080 | 0 | 2022 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 14 | 1,444 | 0 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 14 | 615 | 0 | 2022 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 12 | 6,026 | 2 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 11 | 2,863 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 11 | 1,962 | 1 | 2025 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 11 | 1,238 | 0 | 2022 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 10 | 3,416 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 9 | 1,926 | 2 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 9 | 5,250 | 1 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 9 | 2,589 | 1 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 7 | 10,593 | 0 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 6 | 1,903 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 5 | 696 | 0 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 4 | 2,314 | 0 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 4 | 991 | 0 | 2018 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 4 | 494 | 0 | 2018 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 3 | 1,304 | 0 | 2024 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 3 | 1,069 | 0 | 2017 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 3 | 724 | 0 | 2024 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 2 | 366 | 1 | 2025 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,355 | 0 | 2019 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 1,067 | 0 | 2023 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 2 | 1,012 | 0 | 2018 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 2 | 837 | 0 | 2024 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 2 | 763 | 0 | 2019 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 2 | 679 | 0 | 2022 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 2 | 605 | 0 | 2024 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 2 | 540 | 0 | 1934 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 329 | 0 | 2017 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1 | 2,034 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1 | 1,915 | 0 | 1961 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1 | 1,600 | 0 | 1899 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 1,150 | 0 | 1898 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 1,043 | 0 | 1934 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 999 | 0 | 2018 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 1 | 939 | 0 | 2017 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 1 | 849 | 0 | 2018 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 729 | 0 | 2005 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 1 | 706 | 0 | 1898 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 1 | 414 | 0 | 1899 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 1 | 382 | 0 | 2002 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 1 | 199 | 0 | 2017 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 1 | 134 | 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 | 1,353 | 16 | 5 | Sep-Oct |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 667 | 9 | 5 | Jul |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 466 | 21 | 4 | May |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 513 | 12 | 4 | Jun-Jul |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 977 | 71 | 3 | Jul |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 759 | 41 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 207 | 25 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 163 | 22 | 3 | May |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1,133 | 14 | 3 | Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 22 | 2 | Aug |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 13 | 2 | Jun |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 263 | 9 | 2 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 566 | 4 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 4 | 2 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 226 | 4 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 244 | 3 | 2 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 706 | 2 | 2 | Jul |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 2 | 2 | Apr-Sep |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 2 | 2 | Jul |
| Yellow-sided Skimmer | Libellula flavida | 112 | 106 | 1 | late Jul |
| Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,464 | 50 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 74 | 21 | 1 | late Jun |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 171 | 10 | 1 | late Jun-mid Jul |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 68 | 10 | 1 | May |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 6 | 1 | Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 46 | 4 | 1 | late Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 514 | 3 | 1 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 3 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 297 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 19 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 395 | 2 | 1 | Sep |
| Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 247 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 99 | 2 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 708 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 685 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 616 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 461 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 428 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 421 | 1 | 1 | early Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 181 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 99 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1,106 | 0 | 0 | Jul-Aug |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 363 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 247 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 205 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 70 | 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. 41 odonate species have been observed here.
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 12 January 2026