Geauga County
Known species: 112
Total Observations: 6,441
Population: 93,972
Area in Square Miles: 400
People per Square Mile: 230
Observations per Square Mile: 14.0
Percent of State Species: 65%
Percent of State Observations: 2.5%
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 | Geauga Total | Ohio Total | Geauga 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 379 | 16,365 | 60 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 373 | 15,992 | 55 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 338 | 13,199 | 70 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 327 | 15,601 | 34 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 287 | 8,606 | 71 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 266 | 3,832 | 38 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 246 | 8,456 | 44 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 231 | 10,887 | 35 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 215 | 4,920 | 32 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 206 | 12,022 | 16 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 203 | 7,557 | 29 | 2024 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 176 | 1,702 | 14 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 174 | 11,931 | 15 | 2024 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 152 | 858 | 31 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 126 | 5,160 | 28 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 121 | 1,803 | 12 | 2024 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 114 | 580 | 22 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 103 | 4,187 | 11 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 99 | 4,803 | 14 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 98 | 3,904 | 5 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 90 | 3,791 | 15 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 88 | 2,367 | 12 | 2024 |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 84 | 126 | 6 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 75 | 3,740 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 73 | 4,492 | 5 | 2024 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 69 | 2,488 | 3 | 2024 |
| River Jewelwing | Calopteryx aequabilis | 68 | 81 | 4 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 68 | 2,065 | 1 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 66 | 6,173 | 12 | 2024 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 64 | 860 | 3 | 2024 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 58 | 706 | 3 | 2024 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 58 | 608 | 2 | 2024 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 57 | 576 | 6 | 2024 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 56 | 1,009 | 2 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 54 | 3,380 | 6 | 2024 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 54 | 874 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 51 | 965 | 0 | 2023 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 48 | 922 | 4 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 44 | 2,788 | 2 | 2024 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 42 | 305 | 6 | 2024 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 41 | 1,420 | 8 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 40 | 519 | 1 | 2024 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 39 | 918 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 38 | 137 | 9 | 2024 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 38 | 396 | 6 | 2024 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 35 | 514 | 11 | 2024 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 32 | 374 | 3 | 2024 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 32 | 321 | 2 | 2024 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 29 | 1,208 | 2 | 2024 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 25 | 329 | 1 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 24 | 1,187 | 1 | 2024 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 24 | 931 | 1 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 22 | 3,194 | 2 | 2024 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 22 | 396 | 1 | 2024 |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 22 | 95 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 22 | 361 | 0 | 2009 |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena diastatops | 20 | 142 | 2 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 19 | 1,263 | 3 | 2024 |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 19 | 163 | 2 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 18 | 5,141 | 8 | 2024 |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 17 | 443 | 5 | 2024 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 17 | 589 | 1 | 2024 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 17 | 715 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 17 | 53 | 0 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 16 | 5,343 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 16 | 485 | 1 | 2024 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 16 | 567 | 0 | 2022 |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 15 | 342 | 2 | 2024 |
| Racket-tailed Emerald | Dorocordulia libera | 15 | 66 | 0 | 2020 |
| Southern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus vernalis | 14 | 121 | 0 | 2023 |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 13 | 51 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 13 | 4,444 | 0 | 2021 |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 13 | 85 | 0 | 2020 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 11 | 959 | 0 | 2023 |
| Riffle Snaketail | Ophiogomphus carolus | 11 | 45 | 0 | 1995 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 9 | 605 | 3 | 2024 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 8 | 562 | 0 | 2022 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 8 | 501 | 0 | 2019 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 8 | 446 | 0 | 2022 |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 8 | 217 | 0 | 2021 |
| Beaverpond Baskettail | Epitheca canis | 8 | 63 | 0 | 2015 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 7 | 1,523 | 0 | 2021 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 7 | 295 | 0 | 2023 |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 7 | 66 | 0 | 2006 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 6 | 962 | 0 | 2021 |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 6 | 569 | 0 | 2022 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 6 | 284 | 0 | 2018 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 6 | 189 | 0 | 2021 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 5 | 6,584 | 0 | 2015 |
| Northern Bluet | Enallagma annexum | 5 | 71 | 0 | 1980 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 4 | 598 | 0 | 2023 |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 4 | 258 | 0 | 2021 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 4 | 210 | 0 | 2010 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 4 | 202 | 0 | 2022 |
| Frosted Whiteface | Leucorrhinia frigida | 4 | 29 | 0 | 1936 |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2004 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 3 | 1,197 | 0 | 2022 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 3 | 126 | 0 | 2007 |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 3 | 100 | 0 | 2022 |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 3 | 44 | 0 | 1983 |
| Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 3 | 16 | 0 | 2007 |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 2 | 377 | 0 | 2023 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 2 | 146 | 0 | 1965 |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 2 | 24 | 0 | 2020 |
| American Emerald | Cordulia shurtleffii | 2 | 14 | 0 | 1973 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 1 | 671 | 0 | 1932 |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 1 | 348 | 0 | 1942 |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 1 | 321 | 0 | 2009 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 1 | 140 | 0 | 2022 |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 1 | 24 | 0 | 1975 |
| Rambur's Forktail | Ischnura ramburii | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1997 |
| Taiga Bluet | Coenagrion resolutum | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1993 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 2,837 | 305 | 5 | Jul |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 1,681 | 119 | 5 | Jul |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 760 | 37 | 5 | Jul-Aug |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 34 | 4 | Apr-Sep |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1,452 | 28 | 4 | late Aug-mid Sep |
| Splendid Clubtail | Gomphurus lineatifrons | 139 | 78 | 3 | Jun |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 927 | 30 | 3 | late May-mid Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 45 | 16 | 3 | late Jun |
| Brush-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora walshii | 17 | 8 | 3 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 98 | 72 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Chalk-fronted Corporal | Ladona julia | 59 | 4 | 2 | late May |
| Elfin Skimmer | Nannothemis bella | 555 | 23 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 236 | 16 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Scarlet Skimmer | Crocothemis servilia | 2 | 2 | 1 | Jul |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 471 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 390 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 63 | 1 | 1 | May |
| Striped Saddlebags | Tramea darwini | 33 | 1 | 1 | early Oct |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 860 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 809 | 0 | 0 | late Jul |
| Canada Darner | Aeshna canadensis | 41 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 14 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Taper-tailed Darner | Gomphaeschna antilope | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Geauga County lies within the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau. The unusually complex drainage system in the county is the result of Illinoian and Wisconsinan glaciation (see p. 12 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map). The Cuyahoga River, Chagrin River, and Grand River all originate in Geauga County.
Places to Visit
Cuyahoga River Water Trail Map 1 shows river access points, parks, and facilities.
See “Clubtails of the Grand River” in The Ohio Dragon Flyer 31 1: 2022 January for a map and Grand River access suggestions.
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