Delaware County
Known species county: 89
Total Observations county: 2,234
Population: 184,979
Area in Square Miles: 443
People per Square Mile: 404
Observations per Square Mile: 4.9
Percent of State Species: 51%
Percent of State Observations: 1.0%
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 | Delaware Total | Ohio Total | Delaware 2024 | Last Sighted |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 212 | 15,992 | 9 | 2024 |
Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 190 | 15,601 | 9 | 2024 |
Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 156 | 12,022 | 19 | 2024 |
Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 137 | 16,365 | 11 | 2024 |
Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 137 | 2,488 | 7 | 2024 |
Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 113 | 8,606 | 7 | 2024 |
Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 102 | 11,931 | 9 | 2024 |
Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 89 | 13,199 | 5 | 2024 |
Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 85 | 10,887 | 3 | 2024 |
Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 68 | 5,160 | 1 | 2024 |
Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 54 | 860 | 4 | 2024 |
Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 52 | 8,456 | 2 | 2024 |
Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 51 | 3,904 | 3 | 2024 |
Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 50 | 4,187 | 3 | 2024 |
Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 48 | 5,141 | 4 | 2024 |
Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 46 | 6,584 | 1 | 2024 |
Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 36 | 4,492 | 5 | 2024 |
American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 34 | 4,444 | 0 | 2023 |
Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 33 | 3,380 | 2 | 2024 |
Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 33 | 706 | 0 | 2023 |
Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 32 | 6,173 | 3 | 2024 |
Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 31 | 503 | 0 | 1939 |
Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 28 | 4,803 | 1 | 2024 |
Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 27 | 7,557 | 3 | 2024 |
Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 22 | 3,740 | 0 | 2023 |
Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 20 | 1,452 | 3 | 2024 |
Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 19 | 396 | 2 | 2024 |
Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 19 | 3,791 | 0 | 2023 |
Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 18 | 5,343 | 1 | 2024 |
Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 17 | 2,788 | 3 | 2024 |
Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 15 | 4,920 | 2 | 2024 |
Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 13 | 1,208 | 1 | 2024 |
Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 13 | 715 | 0 | 2022 |
Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 12 | 1,523 | 1 | 2024 |
Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 12 | 1,681 | 0 | 2023 |
Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 11 | 1,263 | 0 | 2023 |
Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 10 | 965 | 2 | 2024 |
Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 10 | 519 | 1 | 2024 |
Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 8 | 1,187 | 0 | 2023 |
Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 8 | 589 | 0 | 2021 |
Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 8 | 485 | 0 | 1963 |
Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 7 | 2,837 | 0 | 2023 |
Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 7 | 209 | 0 | 1942 |
Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 6 | 605 | 1 | 2024 |
Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 6 | 3,832 | 0 | 2023 |
Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 6 | 2,065 | 0 | 2021 |
Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 6 | 962 | 0 | 2019 |
Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 6 | 562 | 0 | 2023 |
Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 6 | 501 | 0 | 2021 |
Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 6 | 374 | 0 | 1992 |
Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 6 | 202 | 0 | 2023 |
Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 5 | 598 | 1 | 2024 |
Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 5 | 1,009 | 0 | 1939 |
Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 5 | 874 | 0 | 2023 |
Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 5 | 809 | 0 | 2020 |
Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 4 | 3,194 | 1 | 2024 |
Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 4 | 1,803 | 1 | 2024 |
Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 4 | 284 | 1 | 2024 |
Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 4 | 2,367 | 0 | 2023 |
Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 4 | 671 | 0 | 2018 |
Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 4 | 514 | 0 | 2019 |
Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 4 | 321 | 0 | 2022 |
Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 3 | 1,702 | 0 | 2020 |
Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 3 | 959 | 0 | 2023 |
Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 3 | 931 | 0 | 2021 |
Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 3 | 146 | 0 | 2023 |
Splendid Clubtail | Gomphurus lineatifrons | 3 | 139 | 0 | 1939 |
Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 2 | 1,420 | 0 | 2013 |
Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 2 | 927 | 0 | 2018 |
Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 2 | 918 | 0 | 2021 |
Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 2 | 760 | 0 | 2019 |
Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 2 | 576 | 0 | 1937 |
Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 2 | 471 | 0 | 2021 |
Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 2 | 329 | 0 | 1936 |
Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 2 | 189 | 0 | 2019 |
Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 922 | 1 | 2024 |
Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1 | 1,197 | 0 | 2004 |
Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 1 | 601 | 0 | 2022 |
Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 1 | 567 | 0 | 1931 |
Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 1 | 396 | 0 | 1930 |
Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 1 | 390 | 0 | 2016 |
Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 1 | 348 | 0 | 1942 |
Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 1 | 295 | 0 | 2006 |
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 1 | 210 | 0 | 1931 |
Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 1 | 149 | 0 | 2020 |
Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 1 | 100 | 0 | 2011 |
Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 1 | 88 | 0 | 2018 |
Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 1 | 66 | 0 | 1995 |
Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 1 | 25 | 0 | 2011 |
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 608 | 11 | 5 | Jul |
Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 580 | 13 | 4 | Jun |
Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 377 | 99 | 3 | Jun |
Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 258 | 22 | 2 | early Jun |
Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 447 | 18 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 860 | 7 | 2 | Jul |
Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 4 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 163 | 4 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 342 | 3 | 2 | Sep |
Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 2 | 2 | Aug |
Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 95 | 2 | 2 | late May-mid Jun |
Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 858 | 5 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 446 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 4 | 1 | Sep |
Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 126 | 2 | 1 | Jul |
Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 2 | 1 | late Jun |
Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 177 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 45 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
Rambur's Forktail | Ischnura ramburii | 15 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 569 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 443 | 0 | 0 | late Jun-early Jul |
Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 361 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 240 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
Delta-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena diastatops | 142 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 140 | 0 | 0 | May |
Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 137 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 98 | 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 | 44 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 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 |
Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
Taper-tailed Darner | Gomphaeschna antilope | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Atlantic Bluet | Enallagma doubledayi | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Delaware County lies entirely within the Till Plains ecoregion. The Scioto River, Olentangy River, Alum Creek, and Big Walnut Creek all flow north to south through the county as they head towards confluences in Franklin County. It has two reservoirs, Alum Creek Lake, and Delaware Lake (on the Olentangy River).
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.
Scioto River in Delaware County
Page updated 2 January 2025