Union County
Known species: 65
Total Observations: 2,187
Population: 53,306
Area in Square Miles: 438
People per Square Mile: 122
Observations per Square Mile: 3.4
Percent of State Species: 38%
Percent of State Observations: 0.7%
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 | Union Total | Ohio Total | Union 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 185 | 18,692 | 43 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 173 | 18,549 | 42 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 129 | 12,693 | 33 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 122 | 7,430 | 22 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 107 | 19,534 | 30 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 96 | 14,355 | 23 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 93 | 4,797 | 6 | 2025 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 89 | 1,915 | 25 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 87 | 14,243 | 28 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 87 | 6,289 | 9 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 85 | 5,374 | 23 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 72 | 15,432 | 17 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 57 | 6,256 | 10 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 49 | 4,110 | 8 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 49 | 4,461 | 5 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 47 | 5,028 | 16 | 2025 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 45 | 1,444 | 0 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 44 | 4,080 | 0 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 42 | 4,380 | 5 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 39 | 2,863 | 5 | 2025 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 37 | 3,416 | 21 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 36 | 10,084 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 35 | 7,716 | 14 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 35 | 5,543 | 5 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 34 | 2,589 | 1 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 28 | 5,911 | 15 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 26 | 6,026 | 4 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 20 | 10,593 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 20 | 615 | 0 | 1993 |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 19 | 298 | 2 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 18 | 3,264 | 4 | 2025 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 17 | 1,355 | 0 | 2022 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 15 | 3,706 | 2 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 13 | 8,693 | 0 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 12 | 2,034 | 6 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 12 | 1,903 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 10 | 1,150 | 0 | 2024 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 8 | 1,067 | 6 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 8 | 5,250 | 1 | 2025 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 7 | 2,314 | 3 | 2025 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 7 | 366 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 7 | 1,962 | 0 | 2024 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 6 | 1,133 | 0 | 2022 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 6 | 999 | 0 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 5 | 1,238 | 1 | 2025 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 5 | 724 | 0 | 2024 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 5 | 667 | 0 | 2023 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 5 | 329 | 0 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 4 | 1,353 | 0 | 2023 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 4 | 540 | 0 | 1992 |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 3 | 92 | 0 | 2018 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 2 | 1,926 | 1 | 2025 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 2 | 939 | 1 | 2025 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 2 | 849 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 2 | 991 | 0 | 1997 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 2 | 763 | 0 | 1990 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 2 | 729 | 0 | 2024 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 2 | 708 | 0 | 2019 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 616 | 0 | 2023 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 2 | 199 | 0 | 2023 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 1,043 | 1 | 2025 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 1 | 706 | 0 | 2023 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 1 | 679 | 0 | 1991 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 566 | 0 | 1932 |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 1 | 66 | 0 | 1960 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 605 | 31 | 7 | Jul-Aug |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1,069 | 121 | 6 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 513 | 93 | 6 | Jun-Jul |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 837 | 65 | 5 | Jul-Aug |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 263 | 15 | 5 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,304 | 9 | 5 | Jun |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,600 | 538 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 466 | 59 | 4 | May |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 52 | 4 | Jun |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 110 | 10 | 4 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 207 | 6 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 592 | 369 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1,106 | 114 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1,012 | 52 | 3 | late May-mid Jun |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 759 | 42 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 297 | 20 | 3 | Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 15 | 3 | Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 5 | 3 | Apr-Sep |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 696 | 4 | 3 | May |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 685 | 340 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 428 | 254 | 2 | Jun |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 961 | 230 | 2 | Jun-Sep |
| Paiute Dancer | Argia alberta | 403 | 157 | 2 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 135 | 2 | Jun |
| Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 247 | 133 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 494 | 89 | 2 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 226 | 83 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 63 | 2 | Aug |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 24 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 977 | 9 | 2 | Jul |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 461 | 5 | 2 | Sep |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 247 | 4 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 3 | 2 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 3 | 2 | Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 395 | 2 | 2 | Sep |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 2 | 2 | Jun-Aug |
| Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,464 | 1,172 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Elfin Skimmer | Nannothemis bella | 676 | 606 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 514 | 60 | 1 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Splendid Clubtail | Gomphurus lineatifrons | 141 | 23 | 1 | Jun |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 134 | 13 | 1 | Jul |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 382 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 363 | 2 | 1 | Sep |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 74 | 2 | 1 | late Jun |
| Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 240 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 99 | 1 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 46 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 16 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Rambur's Forktail | Ischnura ramburii | 15 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 706 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 163 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 99 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 85 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| River Jewelwing | Calopteryx aequabilis | 81 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 49 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Hine's Emerald | Somatochlora hineana | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Saffron-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum costiferum | 20 | 0 | 0 | Oct |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Taper-tailed Darner | Gomphaeschna antilope | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Atlantic Bluet | Enallagma doubledayi | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Union County is in the Till Plains ecoregion.
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