Belmont County
Known species county: 53
Total Observations county: 897
Population: 69,571
Area in Square Miles: 542
People per Square Mile: 128
Observations per Square Mile: 1.7
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 | Belmont Total | Ohio Total | Belmont 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 103 | 13,870 | 18 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 91 | 13,326 | 11 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 69 | 8,819 | 16 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 63 | 4,313 | 13 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 63 | 10,727 | 7 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 52 | 6,247 | 7 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 50 | 10,352 | 12 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 43 | 13,169 | 4 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 36 | 5,111 | 4 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 33 | 5,692 | 6 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 31 | 3,184 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 28 | 7,169 | 2 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 23 | 9,898 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 18 | 1,518 | 1 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 17 | 6,971 | 0 | 2022 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 15 | 4,097 | 7 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 14 | 2,364 | 2 | 2023 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 12 | 3,109 | 3 | 2023 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 11 | 1,357 | 4 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 11 | 1,376 | 2 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 11 | 2,839 | 1 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 10 | 2,390 | 3 | 2023 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 9 | 1,991 | 8 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 9 | 440 | 0 | 1991 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 7 | 4,032 | 2 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 6 | 4,247 | 2 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 5 | 4,146 | 1 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 5 | 2,752 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 5 | 2,115 | 0 | 2022 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 4 | 1,230 | 2 | 2023 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 4 | 262 | 0 | 1991 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 3 | 3,761 | 0 | 2009 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 3 | 3,492 | 0 | 2019 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 3 | 3,377 | 0 | 2020 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 3 | 748 | 0 | 2018 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 3 | 471 | 0 | 2018 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 740 | 2 | 2023 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 2 | 542 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 2 | 1,687 | 0 | 2022 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 2 | 860 | 0 | 1960 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 2 | 298 | 0 | 1991 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 2 | 172 | 0 | 1999 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 1 | 3,628 | 0 | 2021 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 1 | 1,241 | 0 | 2022 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1 | 1,056 | 0 | 2018 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 1 | 1,048 | 0 | 2019 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 1 | 942 | 0 | 1960 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 1 | 899 | 0 | 1960 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 824 | 0 | 2020 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 1 | 688 | 0 | 1991 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 1 | 458 | 0 | 1959 |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 1 | 245 | 0 | 1991 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 1 | 106 | 0 | 1999 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,037 | 34 | 5 | Jun |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 3,785 | 33 | 5 | Jun |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1,031 | 9 | 3 | Sep-Oct |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 874 | 9 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 544 | 7 | 3 | Jul |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 515 | 7 | 3 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 439 | 7 | 3 | mid Jun |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 802 | 6 | 3 | late May-mid Jun |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 121 | 3 | 3 | May |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 768 | 8 | 2 | May-Jun |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 390 | 7 | 2 | Jun |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 731 | 5 | 2 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 478 | 4 | 2 | Jul |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 446 | 2 | 2 | May |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 2 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 141 | 10 | 1 | late Jun-mid Jul |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 684 | 8 | 1 | Jul |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 536 | 5 | 1 | late Jul-Aug |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 2 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 479 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 346 | 2 | 1 | early Sep |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster diastatops | 131 | 2 | 1 | early Jun |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 479 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 443 | 1 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 141 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 73 | 1 | 1 | late Jul |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 498 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 255 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster maculata | 90 | 0 | 0 | late May-mid Jun |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 59 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Riffle Snaketail | Ophiogomphus carolus | 35 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Located entirely within the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, Belmont County borders the Ohio River. Stillwell Creek was dammed in neighboring Harrison County to create the 2,720 Acres of Piedmont Lake, with 36.9 Miles of shoreline, most of which is within Belmont County. Much of the county has been strip mined.
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