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.

Delaware County Ohio

Observed Species

Common NameScientific NameDelaware TotalOhio TotalDelaware 2024Last Sighted
Eastern ForktailIschnura verticalis21215,99292024
Blue DasherPachydiplax longipennis19015,60192024
Common WhitetailPlathemis lydia15612,022192024
Eastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollis13716,365112024
Azure BluetEnallagma aspersum1372,48872024
Ebony JewelwingCalopteryx maculata1138,60672024
Widow SkimmerLibellula luctuosa10211,93192024
Fragile ForktailIschnura posita8913,19952024
Eastern AmberwingPerithemis tenera8510,88732024
Common Green DarnerAnax junius685,16012024
Spotted SpreadwingLestes congener5486042024
Autumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinum528,45622024
Slender SpreadwingLestes rectangularis513,90432024
Halloween PennantCelithemis eponina504,18732024
Powdered DancerArgia moesta485,14142024
Blue-fronted DancerArgia apicalis466,58412024
Blue-tipped DancerArgia tibialis364,49252024
American RubyspotHetaerina americana344,44402023
Black SaddlebagsTramea lacerata333,38022024
Amber-winged SpreadwingLestes eurinus3370602023
Familiar BluetEnallagma civile326,17332024
Pronghorn ClubtailPhanogomphus graslinellus3150301939
Stream BluetEnallagma exsulans284,80312024
Violet DancerArgia fumipennis violacea277,55732024
Twelve-spotted SkimmerLibellula pulchella223,74002023
Blue-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum ambiguum201,45232024
Spatterdock DarnerRhionaeschna mutata1939622024
Orange BluetEnallagma signatum193,79102023
Double-striped BluetEnallagma basidens185,34312024
Prince BaskettailEpitheca princeps172,78832024
Slaty SkimmerLibellula incesta154,92022024
Painted SkimmerLibellula semifasciata131,20812024
Swamp DarnerEpiaeschna heros1371502022
Wandering GliderPantala flavescens121,52312024
Dusky DancerArgia translata121,68102023
Carolina SaddlebagsTramea carolina111,26302023
Ruby MeadowhawkSympetrum rubicundulum1096522024
Fawn DarnerBoyeria vinosa1051912024
Shadow DarnerAeshna umbrosa81,18702023
DragonhunterHagenius brevistylus858902021
Rainbow BluetEnallagma antennatum848501963
Blue-ringed DancerArgia sedula72,83702023
Handsome ClubtailGomphurus crassus720901942
Comet DarnerAnax longipes660512024
Skimming BluetEnallagma geminatum63,83202023
Unicorn ClubtailArigomphus villosipes62,06502021
Citrine ForktailIschnura hastata696202019
Spot-winged GliderPantala hymenaea656202023
Great Blue SkimmerLibellula vibrans650102021
Springtime DarnerBasiaeschna janata637401992
Mocha EmeraldSomatochlora linearis620202023
Royal River CruiserMacromia taeniolata559812024
Ashy ClubtailPhanogomphus lividus51,00901939
Common BaskettailEpitheca cynosura587402023
Flag-tailed SpinylegDromogomphus spoliatus580902020
Calico PennantCelithemis elisa43,19412024
Lancet ClubtailPhanogomphus exilis41,80312024
Southern SpreadwingLestes australis428412024
Westfall's Slender BluetEnallagma traviatum westfalli42,36702023
Black-shouldered SpinylegDromogomphus spinosus467102018
Sweetflag SpreadwingLestes forcipatus451402019
Cyrano DarnerNasiaeschna pentacantha432102022
Dot-tailed WhitefaceLeucorrhinia intacta31,70202020
Great SpreadwingArchilestes grandis395902023
Band-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum semicinctum393102021
Red SaddlebagsTramea onusta314602023
Splendid ClubtailGomphurus lineatifrons313901939
Eastern Red DamselAmphiagrion saucium21,42002013
Midland ClubtailGomphurus fraternus292702018
Turquoise BluetEnallagma divagans291802021
Swift River CruiserMacromia illinoiensis276002019
Aurora DamselChromagrion conditum257601937
Cobra ClubtailGomphurus vastus247102021
Eastern Least ClubtailStylogomphus albistylus232901936
Arrowhead SpiketailZoraena obliqua218902019
Vesper BluetEnallagma vesperum192212024
Spangled SkimmerLibellula cyanea11,19702004
Blue CorporalLadona deplanata160102022
Emerald SpreadwingLestes dryas156701931
Sedge SpriteNehalennia irene139601930
Russet-tipped ClubtailStylurus plagiatus139002016
Rusty SnaketailOphiogomphus rupinsulensis134801942
Four-spotted SkimmerLibellula quadrimaculata129502006
Lyre-tipped SpreadwingLestes unguiculatus121001931
Variegated MeadowhawkSympetrum corruptum114902020
Macromia HybridMacromia pacifica x taeniolata110002011
Gilded River CruiserMacromia pacifica18802018
Marsh BluetEnallagma ebrium16601995
Wabash River CruiserMacromia wabashensis12502011


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 NameScientific NameOhio ObsLocal Obs# of CountiesPeak Active
Swamp SpreadwingLestes vigilax608115Jul
Elegant SpreadwingLestes inaequalis580134Jun
Rapids ClubtailPhanogomphus quadricolor377993Jun
Dusky ClubtailPhanogomphus spicatus258222early Jun
Swift SetwingDythemis velox447182Jul-Aug
Banded PennantCelithemis fasciata86072Jul
Arrow ClubtailStylurus spiniceps32142late Aug-early Sep
Black-tipped DarnerAeshna tuberculifera16342late Aug-early Sep
Green-striped DarnerAeshna verticalis34232Sep
Clamp-tipped EmeraldSomatochlora tenebrosa21722Aug
Twin-spotted SpiketailZoraena maculata9522late May-mid Jun
Lilypad ForktailIschnura kellicotti85851Jun-Sep
Gray PetaltailTachopteryx thoreyi44641Jun
White-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum obtrusum30541Sep
Tiger SpiketailZoraena erronea12621Jul
Stygian ShadowdragonNeurocordulia yamaskanensis6821late Jun
Eastern RingtailErpetogomphus designatus17711Aug
Golden-winged SkimmerLibellula auripennis4511late Jun
Northern SpreadwingLestes disjunctus2411Jun-Aug
Rambur's ForktailIschnura ramburii1511Jul
Tule BluetEnallagma carunculatum56900Jun-Jul
Sphagnum SpriteNehalennia gracilis44300late Jun-early Jul
Lance-tipped DarnerAeshna constricta36100Sep
Brown SpiketailZoraena bilineata24000late May-early Jun
Delta-spotted SpiketailZoraena diastatops14200early Jun
Stream CruiserDidymops transversa14000May
Lilypad ClubtailArigomphus furcifer13700early Jun
Green-faced ClubtailHylogomphus viridifrons9800mid Jun
Hagen's BluetEnallagma hageni8500Jun
River JewelwingCalopteryx aequabilis8100early Jun
Boreal BluetEnallagma boreale4400Jun
Skillet ClubtailGomphurus ventricosus2600Jun
Saffron-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum costiferum2000Oct
Smoky ShadowdragonNeurocordulia molesta1800Jun
Allegheny River CruiserMacromia alleghaniensis1600Jul
Northern Pygmy ClubtailLanthus parvulus700Jun
Furtive ForktailIschnura prognata500
Taper-tailed DarnerGomphaeschna antilope300Jun
Atlantic BluetEnallagma doubledayi100

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