Guernsey County
Known species: 61
Total Observations: 850
Population: 39,636
Area in Square Miles: 522
People per Square Mile: 75
Observations per Square Mile: 1.6
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 | Guernsey Total | Ohio Total | Guernsey 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 69 | 5,111 | 4 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 62 | 13,326 | 14 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 57 | 9,898 | 13 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 55 | 3,184 | 10 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 48 | 8,819 | 6 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 45 | 13,870 | 13 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 39 | 13,169 | 10 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 37 | 10,727 | 16 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 35 | 5,692 | 0 | 2022 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 25 | 10,352 | 3 | 2023 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 24 | 3,109 | 5 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 22 | 2,390 | 3 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 21 | 1,376 | 1 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 17 | 6,971 | 4 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 17 | 4,032 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 16 | 3,785 | 3 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 16 | 1,687 | 1 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 15 | 6,247 | 3 | 2023 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 15 | 731 | 0 | 1984 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 13 | 440 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 12 | 7,169 | 1 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 12 | 2,839 | 1 | 2023 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 12 | 542 | 1 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 11 | 3,492 | 4 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 11 | 4,313 | 0 | 2022 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 11 | 1,037 | 0 | 2022 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 9 | 4,247 | 0 | 2019 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 9 | 4,097 | 0 | 2021 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 8 | 3,377 | 0 | 2022 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 8 | 1,518 | 0 | 2022 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 7 | 1,241 | 0 | 2019 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 7 | 824 | 0 | 2022 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 6 | 4,146 | 0 | 2022 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 6 | 3,628 | 0 | 2019 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 5 | 1,991 | 1 | 2023 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 5 | 536 | 0 | 2019 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 4 | 2,115 | 1 | 2023 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 4 | 478 | 0 | 2019 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 3 | 3,761 | 0 | 2018 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 3 | 2,752 | 0 | 2018 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 3 | 610 | 0 | 1980 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 2 | 2,364 | 0 | 2018 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,056 | 0 | 1993 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 2 | 942 | 0 | 1995 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 748 | 0 | 2020 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 479 | 0 | 2019 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 2 | 471 | 0 | 2018 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 2 | 346 | 0 | 2017 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 2 | 298 | 0 | 1992 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1 | 1,230 | 1 | 2023 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 802 | 1 | 2023 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1 | 1,031 | 0 | 2018 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 768 | 0 | 1993 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 740 | 0 | 1963 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 1 | 446 | 0 | 2020 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 439 | 0 | 2018 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 1 | 390 | 0 | 1937 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 255 | 0 | 1961 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 1 | 172 | 0 | 1936 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 1 | 121 | 0 | 2018 |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 1 | 73 | 0 | 2018 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,357 | 97 | 6 | early Jun |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 1,048 | 28 | 5 | late May-early Jun |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 874 | 67 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 515 | 21 | 4 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 899 | 20 | 3 | Jun-Aug |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 544 | 13 | 3 | Jul |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 11 | 3 | Jun |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 688 | 4 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 467 | 19 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 620 | 8 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 4 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 860 | 3 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 3 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 106 | 3 | 2 | Jul |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 479 | 2 | 2 | Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 443 | 2 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 277 | 2 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 141 | 2 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 50 | 19 | 1 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 8 | 1 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 189 | 7 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 684 | 6 | 1 | Jul |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 6 | 1 | Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 4 | 1 | Aug |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1,204 | 2 | 1 | late Aug-mid Sep |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 340 | 2 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 262 | 2 | 1 | Sep |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 451 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 359 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 262 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 101 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster maculata | 90 | 1 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 14 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 498 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 458 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 285 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 245 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 192 | 0 | 0 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 180 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 59 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Guernsey County is located in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Much of the county was strip mined, and reclamation is not yet complete. Wills Creek, which has its headwaters to the south in Noble County, flows north to south across the entire county. The county has two significant artificial lakes, 3,550 acre Seneca Lake, and 2,952 acre Salt Fork Lake.
Places to Visit
Senecaville State Fish Hatchery is located on over 120 acres in southern Guernsey County below the dam of Senecaville Lake. 31 species have been observed at this location. Visits are permitted Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM, except holidays.
Seneca(ville) Lake 23 species have been observed around the lake (which also lies partly in Noble County)
Salt Fork State Park is a 20,400 acre facility featuring the 2,952 acre Salt Fork Lake. 33 species have been observed in this area.
County Observation Activity
This graph shows the total number of odonata observations for the county in brown, with the average for all Ohio counties in blue. The season is divided into 10 or 11 day segments by Month – basically early-month, mid-month, and late-month.
Page updated 22 January 2024