Lucas County
Known species: 111
Total Observations: 11,548
Population: 436,393
Area in Square Miles: 341
People per Square Mile: 775
Observations per Square Mile: 33.9 (highest in state)
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 | Lucas Total | Ohio Total | Lucas 2023 | Last Sighted |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 610 | 13,169 | 108 | 2023 |
Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 606 | 13,326 | 186 | 2023 |
Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 584 | 6,971 | 153 | 2023 |
Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 514 | 13,870 | 72 | 2023 |
Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 436 | 10,352 | 108 | 2023 |
Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 420 | 5,111 | 80 | 2023 |
Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 387 | 8,819 | 99 | 2023 |
Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 381 | 4,146 | 111 | 2023 |
Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 370 | 2,752 | 51 | 2023 |
Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 344 | 6,247 | 100 | 2023 |
Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 324 | 2,839 | 65 | 2023 |
Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 302 | 4,313 | 75 | 2023 |
Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 290 | 10,727 | 77 | 2023 |
Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 281 | 9,898 | 60 | 2023 |
Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 239 | 3,377 | 28 | 2023 |
Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 209 | 1,204 | 4 | 2023 |
Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 179 | 4,032 | 47 | 2023 |
Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 179 | 1,241 | 36 | 2023 |
Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 170 | 3,628 | 20 | 2023 |
Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 162 | 2,390 | 49 | 2023 |
Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 158 | 1,056 | 10 | 2023 |
Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 156 | 5,692 | 24 | 2023 |
Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 150 | 3,184 | 52 | 2023 |
Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 143 | 451 | 36 | 2023 |
Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 143 | 1,048 | 9 | 2023 |
Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 136 | 3,492 | 9 | 2023 |
Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 134 | 4,097 | 33 | 2023 |
Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 131 | 684 | 28 | 2023 |
American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 129 | 3,761 | 50 | 2023 |
Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 125 | 7,169 | 23 | 2023 |
Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 119 | 536 | 22 | 2023 |
Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 118 | 1,991 | 46 | 2023 |
Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 116 | 824 | 7 | 2023 |
Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 97 | 4,247 | 27 | 2023 |
Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 93 | 191 | 26 | 2023 |
Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 93 | 262 | 5 | 2023 |
Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 93 | 479 | 4 | 2023 |
Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 87 | 3,785 | 22 | 2023 |
Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 86 | 1,687 | 26 | 2023 |
Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 86 | 467 | 2 | 2023 |
Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 80 | 2,115 | 19 | 2023 |
Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 79 | 743 | 24 | 2023 |
Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 79 | 874 | 15 | 2023 |
Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 76 | 3,109 | 11 | 2023 |
White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 75 | 272 | 5 | 2023 |
Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 73 | 443 | 19 | 2023 |
Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 73 | 1,031 | 7 | 2023 |
Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 72 | 731 | 6 | 2023 |
Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 65 | 740 | 21 | 2023 |
Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 64 | 688 | 10 | 2023 |
Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 63 | 515 | 13 | 2023 |
Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 61 | 359 | 4 | 2023 |
Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 60 | 2,364 | 14 | 2023 |
Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 58 | 90 | 16 | 2023 |
Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 58 | 478 | 13 | 2023 |
Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 50 | 942 | 4 | 2023 |
Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 49 | 1,357 | 1 | 2023 |
Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 48 | 620 | 4 | 2023 |
Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 48 | 899 | 0 | 2022 |
Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 45 | 1,376 | 7 | 2023 |
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 43 | 180 | 1 | 2023 |
Belted Whiteface | Leucorrhinia proxima | 33 | 33 | 0 | 2021 |
Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 31 | 768 | 6 | 2023 |
Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 31 | 860 | 3 | 2023 |
Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 30 | 277 | 3 | 2023 |
Striped Saddlebags | Tramea darwini | 30 | 33 | 0 | 2021 |
Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 25 | 748 | 5 | 2023 |
Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 24 | 285 | 17 | 2023 |
Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 24 | 145 | 0 | 2022 |
Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 21 | 802 | 2 | 2023 |
Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 19 | 610 | 0 | 2020 |
Hine's Emerald | Somatochlora hineana | 18 | 24 | 0 | 1961 |
Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 16 | 440 | 3 | 2023 |
Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 16 | 377 | 0 | 2021 |
Chalk-fronted Corporal | Ladona julia | 16 | 59 | 0 | 2020 |
Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 15 | 358 | 0 | 2022 |
Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 15 | 44 | 0 | 2022 |
Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 14 | 255 | 1 | 2023 |
Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 14 | 458 | 0 | 2019 |
Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 13 | 544 | 0 | 2022 |
Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 12 | 307 | 1 | 2023 |
Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 12 | 192 | 0 | 2022 |
Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 11 | 189 | 0 | 2011 |
Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 11 | 117 | 0 | 2020 |
Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 10 | 73 | 0 | 2019 |
Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 8 | 208 | 0 | 2016 |
Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 6 | 498 | 1 | 2023 |
Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 6 | 439 | 0 | 2018 |
Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 6 | 141 | 0 | 2017 |
Frosted Whiteface | Leucorrhinia frigida | 6 | 29 | 0 | 2021 |
Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 6 | 25 | 0 | 2012 |
Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 5 | 1,230 | 0 | 2022 |
Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 5 | 479 | 0 | 2022 |
Mottled Darner | Aeshna clepsydra | 5 | 31 | 0 | 2015 |
Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 4 | 335 | 0 | 2021 |
Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 3 | 1,037 | 0 | 2022 |
Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 3 | 471 | 0 | 2018 |
Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 3 | 170 | 0 | 2020 |
Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 2 | 1,518 | 0 | 2019 |
Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 2 | 101 | 0 | 2016 |
Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 2 | 66 | 0 | 2012 |
Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 2 | 19 | 0 | 2021 |
Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 1 | 370 | 0 | 2021 |
Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 1 | 172 | 0 | 2018 |
Northern Bluet | Enallagma annexum | 1 | 65 | 0 | 1952 |
Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 1 | 44 | 0 | 1952 |
Canada Darner | Aeshna canadensis | 1 | 41 | 0 | 1997 |
Saffron-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum costiferum | 1 | 20 | 0 | 1953 |
Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2014 |
Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 1 | 14 | 0 | 1992 |
Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2022 |
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 542 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 298 | 0 | 0 | May |
Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 84 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 6 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Lucas County lies within the Maumee Lake Plains area of the Huron-Erie Lake Plains ecoregion, which was the location of the now mostly-drained and channelized Black Swamp. It is bordered to the east by Lake Erie, and to the southeast by the Maumee River. 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
Wiregrass Lake Metropark in northwest Ohio features a spring fed lake and boasts some of the best examples of the Oak Openings Region’s globally rare wet prairie community. After much invasive plant removal and natural area restoration, many of the region’s state-listed rare species continue to thrive here, monitored each season by volunteer researchers and staff. To protect the diversity of the dragonfly population, Metroparks Toledo asks that any bank-fishing be done only from the dock or stone ledges accessible off of the Blue Dasher Trail, and that the protected beach area at the south end of the lake remain off limits to any fishing. 58 species of Odonata have been observed here since 2008—a testament to the high biodiversity found within the Oak Openings.
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/odonata-of-wiregrass-lake-metropark
See Ohio Dragon Flier issues 32-2 and 33-1 "Wiregrass Lake Odonata Monitoring".
Maumee River Water Trail. Map shows parkland, water access points, and facilities.
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 20 February 2024