Erie County
Known species county: 86
Total Observations county: 2,079
Population: 76,048
Area in Square Miles: 252
People per Square Mile: 122
Observations per Square Mile: 7.7
Percent of State Species: 50%
Percent of State Observations: 0.8%
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 | Erie Total | Ohio Total | Erie 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 209 | 15,992 | 23 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 166 | 15,601 | 10 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 138 | 13,199 | 18 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 119 | 16,365 | 14 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 108 | 6,584 | 3 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 105 | 11,931 | 4 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 84 | 10,887 | 7 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 74 | 4,803 | 6 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 73 | 5,160 | 9 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 65 | 12,022 | 16 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 49 | 8,456 | 4 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 47 | 3,740 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 46 | 8,606 | 10 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 45 | 6,173 | 5 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 43 | 3,194 | 6 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 39 | 3,380 | 4 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 39 | 4,187 | 1 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 35 | 3,904 | 1 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 34 | 4,920 | 2 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 34 | 2,837 | 1 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 30 | 3,791 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 29 | 965 | 0 | 2001 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 28 | 5,141 | 4 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 26 | 7,557 | 4 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 23 | 2,367 | 4 | 2024 |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 22 | 569 | 0 | 2022 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 20 | 485 | 0 | 1985 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 18 | 4,444 | 4 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 18 | 2,788 | 2 | 2024 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 17 | 927 | 0 | 2013 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 15 | 1,523 | 2 | 2024 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 15 | 760 | 0 | 1988 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 12 | 5,343 | 2 | 2024 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 12 | 471 | 0 | 1903 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 11 | 931 | 0 | 2015 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 11 | 390 | 0 | 1939 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 10 | 715 | 1 | 2024 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 10 | 562 | 0 | 2023 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 9 | 809 | 0 | 1985 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 8 | 4,492 | 1 | 2024 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 8 | 2,488 | 0 | 2020 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 8 | 1,702 | 0 | 1936 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 8 | 1,208 | 0 | 2022 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 8 | 567 | 0 | 2021 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 7 | 2,065 | 0 | 2022 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 7 | 1,420 | 0 | 2019 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 7 | 671 | 0 | 1985 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 7 | 305 | 0 | 2013 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 7 | 189 | 0 | 2023 |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 7 | 66 | 0 | 1985 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 6 | 3,832 | 1 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 6 | 1,263 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 6 | 396 | 0 | 2018 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 6 | 210 | 0 | 1991 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 5 | 1,187 | 1 | 2024 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 5 | 922 | 1 | 2024 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 5 | 608 | 0 | 1903 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 5 | 519 | 0 | 1985 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 5 | 514 | 0 | 2018 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 5 | 361 | 0 | 2018 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 4 | 1,452 | 0 | 1973 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 4 | 962 | 0 | 2019 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 4 | 501 | 0 | 2019 |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 4 | 258 | 0 | 1897 |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 4 | 149 | 0 | 2023 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 3 | 202 | 2 | 2024 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 3 | 284 | 1 | 2024 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 3 | 874 | 0 | 2020 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 3 | 706 | 0 | 2018 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 3 | 295 | 0 | 1945 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 2 | 1,803 | 0 | 2023 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 2 | 598 | 0 | 2020 |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 2 | 44 | 0 | 1926 |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 2 | 24 | 0 | 1899 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 1,009 | 0 | 1937 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1 | 860 | 0 | 2019 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 605 | 0 | 1913 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 1 | 580 | 0 | 1901 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 1 | 446 | 0 | 2021 |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 1 | 342 | 0 | 1901 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 1 | 236 | 0 | 1984 |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 1 | 209 | 0 | 1895 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 1 | 146 | 0 | 1933 |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 1 | 137 | 0 | 1900 |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 1 | 68 | 0 | 1945 |
| Kennedy's Emerald | Somatochlora kennedyi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1955 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 321 | 8 | 4 | mid Jun |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 1,681 | 40 | 3 | Jul |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 918 | 5 | 3 | May-Jun |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 589 | 25 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 396 | 10 | 2 | Jun |
| Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 16 | 2 | 2 | Jun-Aug |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 447 | 55 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 959 | 4 | 1 | Sep |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 100 | 3 | 1 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 374 | 2 | 1 | May |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 88 | 2 | 1 | late Jul |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 503 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Striped Saddlebags | Tramea darwini | 33 | 1 | 1 | early Oct |
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | 20 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 576 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 163 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 85 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Northern Bluet | Enallagma annexum | 71 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 45 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Mottled Darner | Aeshna clepsydra | 31 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 6 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Erie County is on the shore of Lake Erie in the Huron-Erie Lake Plains ecogregion, in the Erie Lake Plains subregion as are all the other Ohio counties to its east. It is bordered on the west by the Columbus Escarpment, which delineates it from the former Black Swamp further west. The westernmost section of the county, between this escarpment and the Lake Plains is within the Bellevue-Castalia Karst Plain, a hummocky area characterized by rock knobs and sinkholes, most prominent Castalia’s Blue Hole. The county includes Kellys Island. Erie County drains into Lake Erie through the Huron and Vermilion rivers, and is entirely within the Lake Erie Watershed (See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map).
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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