Belmont County
Known species county: 55
Total Observations county: 1,022
Population: 69,571
Area in Square Miles: 532
People per Square Mile: 128
Observations per Square Mile: 1.7
Percent of State Species: 32%
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 | Belmont Total | Ohio Total | Belmont 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 118 | 16,365 | 15 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 95 | 15,992 | 4 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 77 | 10,887 | 8 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 73 | 5,343 | 10 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 65 | 13,199 | 2 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 61 | 7,557 | 9 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 60 | 11,931 | 10 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 44 | 15,601 | 1 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 38 | 3,791 | 7 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 36 | 6,173 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 35 | 6,584 | 2 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 31 | 12,022 | 8 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 30 | 8,606 | 2 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 26 | 3,832 | 14 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 19 | 1,803 | 1 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 18 | 8,456 | 1 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 16 | 4,803 | 1 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 15 | 2,367 | 6 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 14 | 2,837 | 0 | 2023 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 13 | 1,702 | 2 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 13 | 1,681 | 2 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 12 | 5,141 | 6 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 12 | 2,788 | 2 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 12 | 3,380 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 9 | 519 | 0 | 1991 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 8 | 4,920 | 1 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 7 | 5,160 | 2 | 2024 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 5 | 671 | 3 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 5 | 3,194 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 5 | 2,488 | 0 | 2022 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 4 | 2,065 | 2 | 2024 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 4 | 576 | 1 | 2024 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 4 | 1,420 | 0 | 2023 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 4 | 329 | 0 | 1991 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 3 | 374 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 3 | 4,444 | 0 | 2009 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 3 | 3,904 | 0 | 2019 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 3 | 3,740 | 0 | 2020 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 3 | 874 | 0 | 2018 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 2 | 931 | 0 | 1960 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 922 | 0 | 2023 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 2 | 189 | 0 | 1999 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 1 | 4,492 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 1,009 | 1 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 1 | 4,187 | 0 | 2021 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 1 | 1,523 | 0 | 2022 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 1 | 1,263 | 0 | 2019 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1 | 1,208 | 0 | 2018 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 1 | 965 | 0 | 1960 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 1 | 962 | 0 | 1960 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 959 | 0 | 2020 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 1 | 760 | 0 | 1991 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 1 | 485 | 0 | 1959 |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 1 | 348 | 0 | 1991 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 1 | 126 | 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 | 1,197 | 50 | 5 | Jun |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1,187 | 13 | 4 | Sep-Oct |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 608 | 10 | 4 | Jul |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 589 | 10 | 4 | mid Jun |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 605 | 10 | 3 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 927 | 7 | 3 | late May-mid Jun |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 140 | 3 | 3 | May |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 562 | 13 | 2 | Jul |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 860 | 9 | 2 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 918 | 8 | 2 | May-Jun |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 446 | 7 | 2 | Jun |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 601 | 5 | 2 | May |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 706 | 3 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 3 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 168 | 24 | 1 | late Jun-mid Jul |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 860 | 19 | 1 | Jul |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 598 | 5 | 1 | late Jul-Aug |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena diastatops | 142 | 3 | 1 | early Jun |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 580 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 471 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 377 | 2 | 1 | early Sep |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 567 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 514 | 1 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 390 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 342 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 163 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 146 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 88 | 1 | 1 | late Jul |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 569 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 284 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 98 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 95 | 0 | 0 | late May-mid Jun |
| Riffle Snaketail | Ophiogomphus carolus | 45 | 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 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 2 January 2025