Guernsey County
Known species: 63
Total Observations: 1,047
Population: 39,636
Area in Square Miles: 522
People per Square Mile: 75
Observations per Square Mile: 1.6
Percent of State Species: 36%
Percent of State Observations: 0.4%
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 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 89 | 6,173 | 20 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 84 | 15,992 | 22 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 76 | 3,791 | 21 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 69 | 12,022 | 12 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 61 | 15,601 | 22 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 58 | 16,365 | 13 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 55 | 10,887 | 7 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 46 | 13,199 | 9 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 37 | 6,584 | 2 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 30 | 3,832 | 6 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 28 | 11,931 | 3 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 26 | 2,788 | 4 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 21 | 1,681 | 0 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 20 | 3,380 | 8 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 20 | 4,920 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 18 | 8,606 | 6 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 18 | 7,557 | 3 | 2024 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 17 | 1,197 | 6 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 17 | 8,456 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 16 | 4,492 | 0 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 16 | 2,065 | 0 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 15 | 5,160 | 9 | 2024 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 15 | 860 | 0 | 1984 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 14 | 5,343 | 3 | 2024 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 13 | 562 | 9 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 13 | 1,523 | 6 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 13 | 519 | 0 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 12 | 4,803 | 3 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 12 | 3,904 | 1 | 2024 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 12 | 671 | 0 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 10 | 5,141 | 1 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 9 | 4,187 | 3 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 9 | 1,803 | 1 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 8 | 2,367 | 3 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 8 | 3,740 | 0 | 2022 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 7 | 959 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 5 | 2,488 | 1 | 2024 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 5 | 598 | 0 | 2019 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 4 | 3,194 | 1 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 3 | 1,263 | 3 | 2024 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 3 | 1,420 | 2 | 2024 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 3 | 576 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 3 | 4,444 | 0 | 2018 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 3 | 706 | 0 | 1980 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 2 | 2,837 | 0 | 2018 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,208 | 0 | 1993 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 2 | 965 | 0 | 1995 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 874 | 0 | 2020 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 580 | 0 | 2019 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 2 | 377 | 0 | 2017 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 2 | 374 | 0 | 1992 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1 | 1,702 | 1 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1 | 1,187 | 0 | 2018 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 927 | 0 | 2023 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 922 | 0 | 1963 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 918 | 0 | 1993 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 1 | 601 | 0 | 2020 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 589 | 0 | 2018 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 1 | 446 | 0 | 1937 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 284 | 0 | 1961 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 1 | 189 | 0 | 1936 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 1 | 140 | 0 | 2018 |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 1 | 88 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1,009 | 90 | 6 | late May-early Jun |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 605 | 28 | 4 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 608 | 15 | 4 | Jul |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 760 | 5 | 4 | Jul-Aug |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 962 | 22 | 3 | Jun-Aug |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 471 | 12 | 3 | Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 931 | 4 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 567 | 3 | 3 | Jun |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 501 | 19 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 715 | 14 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 860 | 10 | 2 | Jul |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 4 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 146 | 4 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 342 | 3 | 2 | Sep |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 321 | 3 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 126 | 3 | 2 | Jul |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 514 | 2 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 163 | 2 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 95 | 2 | 2 | late May-mid Jun |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 51 | 19 | 1 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 396 | 14 | 1 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 236 | 7 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 361 | 6 | 1 | Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 6 | 1 | Aug |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1,452 | 2 | 1 | late Aug-mid Sep |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 447 | 2 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 503 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 396 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 329 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 137 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 14 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 5 | 1 | 1 | |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 569 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 485 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 377 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 348 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 295 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 210 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 202 | 0 | 0 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 98 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 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. 34 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. 35 species have been observed in this area.
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