Putnam County
Known species: 60
Total Observations: 1,134
Population: 34,088
Area in Square Miles: 483
People per Square Mile: 70
Observations per Square Mile: 2.1
Percent of State Species: 35%
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 | Putnam Total | Ohio Total | Putnam 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 82 | 19,534 | 6 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 73 | 14,355 | 5 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 69 | 7,430 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 68 | 7,716 | 1 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 63 | 6,026 | 0 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 61 | 12,693 | 1 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 60 | 5,543 | 0 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 59 | 1,962 | 0 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 47 | 18,549 | 5 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 47 | 4,461 | 0 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 46 | 3,706 | 3 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 43 | 5,028 | 3 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 41 | 5,374 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 40 | 3,416 | 2 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 37 | 5,250 | 4 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 29 | 6,256 | 2 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 29 | 14,243 | 1 | 2025 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 28 | 939 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 24 | 18,692 | 1 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 21 | 3,264 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 19 | 15,432 | 1 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 19 | 8,693 | 0 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 14 | 4,080 | 0 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 12 | 10,593 | 2 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 10 | 4,110 | 2 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 10 | 10,084 | 0 | 2019 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 7 | 4,797 | 0 | 2019 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 7 | 991 | 0 | 2019 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 6 | 679 | 0 | 2019 |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 6 | 170 | 0 | 1961 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 5 | 6,289 | 0 | 2024 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 5 | 1,012 | 0 | 2021 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 5 | 540 | 0 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 3 | 4,380 | 0 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 3 | 615 | 0 | 2018 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 3 | 383 | 0 | 1995 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 3 | 363 | 0 | 1956 |
| Saffron-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum costiferum | 3 | 20 | 0 | 1956 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 2 | 2,314 | 0 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 2 | 1,903 | 0 | 2020 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 2 | 1,238 | 0 | 2019 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 2 | 366 | 0 | 1985 |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 2 | 14 | 0 | 1956 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 1 | 5,911 | 0 | 2020 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 1 | 2,863 | 0 | 2019 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 1 | 2,589 | 0 | 2018 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 1 | 1,444 | 0 | 2021 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1 | 1,353 | 0 | 1994 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 1,106 | 0 | 1956 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1 | 1,069 | 0 | 1958 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 1 | 1,067 | 0 | 2024 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 1,043 | 0 | 2018 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 1 | 763 | 0 | 1991 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 1 | 759 | 0 | 1994 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 724 | 0 | 2020 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 1 | 667 | 0 | 2024 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 1 | 605 | 0 | 2019 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 1 | 461 | 0 | 1995 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 1 | 247 | 0 | 1950 |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 1 | 25 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 708 | 42 | 6 | Jun |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 837 | 32 | 6 | Jul-Aug |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 849 | 34 | 5 | late May-early Jun |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 999 | 13 | 5 | Jun |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1,133 | 62 | 4 | Sep |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,915 | 23 | 4 | early Jun |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 513 | 15 | 4 | Jun-Jul |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 566 | 14 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 110 | 12 | 4 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 199 | 7 | 4 | Jun-Jul |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1,926 | 57 | 3 | late Aug-mid Sep |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 25 | 3 | Jun |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 706 | 16 | 3 | Jul |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 297 | 12 | 3 | Jun |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 263 | 10 | 3 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 92 | 7 | 3 | late Jul |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 329 | 5 | 3 | May |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 244 | 4 | 3 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 2,034 | 27 | 2 | early Jun |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 616 | 21 | 2 | Jun |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 298 | 6 | 2 | early Jun |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1,355 | 4 | 2 | May |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,304 | 2 | 2 | Jun |
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | 21 | 19 | 1 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 226 | 13 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 6 | 1 | Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 729 | 3 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 124 | 3 | 1 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 28 | 2 | 1 | late May |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1,150 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 466 | 1 | 1 | May |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 977 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 706 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 421 | 0 | 0 | early Sep |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 395 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 240 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 171 | 0 | 0 | late Jun-mid Jul |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 153 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 85 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 49 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Canada Darner | Aeshna canadensis | 41 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Plains Emerald | Somatochlora ensigera | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Riverine Clubtail | Stylurus amnicola | 15 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Taiga Bluet | Coenagrion resolutum | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Georgia River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis georgina | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Putnam 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. Watercourses include Auglaize River Blanchard River and Ottawa River (Auglaize River tributary) (see Rivers of Putnam County). The county is entirely within the Lake Erie Watershed (See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map).
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 13 January 2026