Lorain County
Known species: 84
Total Observations: 6,129
Population: 302,827
Area in Square Miles: 491
People per Square Mile: 321
Observations per Square Mile: 10.5
Percent of State Species: 49%
Percent of State Observations: 2.4%
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 | Lorain Total | Ohio Total | Lorain 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 481 | 12,022 | 128 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 450 | 16,365 | 93 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 445 | 15,601 | 80 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 438 | 15,992 | 70 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 288 | 11,931 | 42 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 271 | 10,887 | 54 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 228 | 13,199 | 29 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 219 | 4,920 | 63 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 216 | 4,492 | 36 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 205 | 8,456 | 29 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 202 | 8,606 | 28 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 195 | 3,740 | 48 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 189 | 5,160 | 44 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 174 | 7,557 | 30 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 157 | 6,584 | 12 | 2024 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 155 | 1,702 | 37 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 146 | 4,187 | 22 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 102 | 3,832 | 15 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 101 | 2,065 | 32 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 101 | 3,904 | 12 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 100 | 3,791 | 20 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 97 | 3,380 | 10 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 96 | 5,343 | 24 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 80 | 3,194 | 17 | 2024 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 75 | 2,488 | 22 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 74 | 5,141 | 11 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 67 | 6,173 | 19 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 55 | 1,803 | 12 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 55 | 2,367 | 11 | 2024 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 52 | 295 | 2 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 51 | 2,788 | 3 | 2024 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 45 | 1,208 | 8 | 2024 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 41 | 608 | 8 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 39 | 1,263 | 4 | 2024 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 33 | 715 | 8 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 30 | 4,444 | 1 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 26 | 4,803 | 2 | 2024 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 24 | 589 | 13 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 23 | 1,523 | 9 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 23 | 1,187 | 1 | 2024 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 21 | 706 | 12 | 2024 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 19 | 580 | 7 | 2024 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 18 | 501 | 0 | 2022 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 16 | 514 | 1 | 2024 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 15 | 567 | 3 | 2024 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 15 | 922 | 0 | 2023 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 14 | 874 | 3 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 13 | 519 | 0 | 2023 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 12 | 860 | 2 | 2024 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 12 | 202 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 10 | 965 | 0 | 2023 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 10 | 605 | 0 | 2023 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 9 | 396 | 3 | 2024 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 8 | 598 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 8 | 1,009 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 7 | 1,452 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 7 | 2,837 | 0 | 2020 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 6 | 446 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 6 | 396 | 0 | 2023 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 5 | 760 | 0 | 2023 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 4 | 146 | 1 | 2024 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 4 | 959 | 0 | 2023 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 4 | 485 | 0 | 1960 |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 4 | 342 | 0 | 2023 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 3 | 374 | 2 | 2024 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 3 | 962 | 0 | 2023 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 3 | 809 | 0 | 1989 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 3 | 671 | 0 | 1990 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 284 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 2 | 1,681 | 0 | 2022 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 2 | 562 | 0 | 2023 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 2 | 321 | 0 | 2019 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 2 | 210 | 0 | 1942 |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 1 | 149 | 1 | 2024 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1 | 1,420 | 0 | 1895 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 931 | 0 | 2022 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 927 | 0 | 2016 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 918 | 0 | 2021 |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 1 | 569 | 0 | 2020 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 1 | 471 | 0 | 1989 |
| Striped Saddlebags | Tramea darwini | 1 | 33 | 0 | 2021 |
| Mottled Darner | Aeshna clepsydra | 1 | 31 | 0 | 1895 |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1996 |
| Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2014 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 189 | 12 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 576 | 14 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 329 | 14 | 3 | Jun |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 258 | 10 | 3 | early Jun |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 7 | 3 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 6 | 3 | Aug |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 361 | 7 | 2 | Sep |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 53 | 6 | 2 | Sep |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 126 | 4 | 2 | Jul |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 95 | 3 | 2 | late May-mid Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 2 | 2 | Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 163 | 2 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 140 | 22 | 1 | May |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 348 | 5 | 1 | Jun |
| Rambur's Forktail | Ischnura ramburii | 15 | 5 | 1 | Jul |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 137 | 3 | 1 | early Jun |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 858 | 2 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Southern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus vernalis | 121 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 860 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 503 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 390 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 377 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 236 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 209 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena diastatops | 142 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Splendid Clubtail | Gomphurus lineatifrons | 139 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 98 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 85 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Beaverpond Baskettail | Epitheca canis | 63 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 44 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Canada Darner | Aeshna canadensis | 41 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Appalachian Jewelwing | Calopteryx angustipennis | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Spine-crowned Clubtail | Hylogomphus abbreviatus | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Taper-tailed Darner | Gomphaeschna antilope | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Kennedy's Emerald | Somatochlora kennedyi | 1 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
Located on the shore of Lake Erie, Lorain County is primarily within the Lake Plains ecoregion. The SW corner of the county is in the Till Plains. The Black River is the most significant watercourse in the county. The county is entirely within the Lake Erie Watershed (See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map).
Places to Visit
Vermilion River Reservation. 39 species have been observed.
Vermilion - Lorain Water Trail. A paddler’s map and guide showing access to the Vermilion and Black Rivers and the Lake Erie Shoreline. Indicates facilities and shows parkland, including French Creek.
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 3 January 2025