Perry County
Known species: 70
Total Observations: 1,123
Population: 35,997
Area in Square Miles: 408
People per Square Mile: 87
Observations per Square Mile: 2.4
Percent of State Species: 40%
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 | Perry Total | Ohio Total | Perry 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 93 | 15,601 | 11 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 90 | 16,365 | 10 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 79 | 12,022 | 17 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 73 | 11,931 | 10 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 71 | 13,199 | 8 | 2024 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 62 | 2,488 | 23 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 51 | 7,557 | 14 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 50 | 10,887 | 6 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 47 | 15,992 | 1 | 2024 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 40 | 1,197 | 3 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 35 | 4,920 | 2 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 31 | 1,803 | 16 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 24 | 3,194 | 8 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 22 | 8,456 | 0 | 2021 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 21 | 5,343 | 5 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 21 | 4,187 | 0 | 2023 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 17 | 860 | 1 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 17 | 3,832 | 0 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 14 | 3,740 | 2 | 2024 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 14 | 576 | 2 | 2024 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 14 | 874 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 13 | 8,606 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 12 | 601 | 7 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 12 | 2,065 | 1 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 11 | 2,367 | 1 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 11 | 3,791 | 0 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 10 | 5,160 | 1 | 2024 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 9 | 605 | 2 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 9 | 6,584 | 0 | 2023 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 8 | 918 | 0 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 7 | 3,380 | 2 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 7 | 2,788 | 2 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 7 | 1,681 | 1 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 7 | 6,173 | 0 | 2022 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 7 | 1,420 | 0 | 2023 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 6 | 1,208 | 4 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 6 | 4,803 | 2 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 6 | 5,141 | 0 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 6 | 3,904 | 0 | 2023 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 6 | 608 | 0 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 6 | 519 | 0 | 2019 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 5 | 4,492 | 0 | 2023 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 5 | 1,702 | 0 | 2023 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 5 | 706 | 0 | 2023 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 4 | 1,263 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 4 | 2,837 | 0 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 4 | 962 | 0 | 2022 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 4 | 485 | 0 | 1960 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 4 | 374 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 3 | 1,009 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 3 | 965 | 0 | 2017 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 3 | 446 | 0 | 2017 |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 3 | 443 | 0 | 2023 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 2 | 4,444 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 2 | 1,523 | 1 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 2 | 1,187 | 1 | 2024 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 2 | 715 | 0 | 2023 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 580 | 0 | 2023 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 2 | 396 | 0 | 2023 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 284 | 0 | 2019 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1 | 1,452 | 0 | 1936 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 959 | 0 | 2012 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 922 | 0 | 2022 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 1 | 671 | 0 | 2014 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 589 | 0 | 2021 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 503 | 0 | 2023 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 1 | 501 | 0 | 2019 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 1 | 329 | 0 | 2019 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 1 | 189 | 0 | 2018 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 1 | 140 | 0 | 2019 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 126 | 41 | 5 | Jul |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 447 | 28 | 5 | Jul-Aug |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 760 | 25 | 5 | Jul-Aug |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 562 | 11 | 5 | Jul |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 927 | 8 | 5 | late May-mid Jun |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 95 | 8 | 5 | late May-mid Jun |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 858 | 128 | 4 | Jun-Sep |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 377 | 42 | 4 | early Sep |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 598 | 7 | 4 | late Jul-Aug |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 202 | 6 | 4 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 168 | 31 | 3 | late Jun-mid Jul |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 16 | 3 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 931 | 12 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 6 | 3 | Aug |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 809 | 5 | 3 | late Jul |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 63 | 23 | 2 | May |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 342 | 10 | 2 | Sep |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 51 | 5 | 2 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 860 | 4 | 2 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 567 | 4 | 2 | Jun |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 163 | 4 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 396 | 3 | 2 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 377 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 514 | 2 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 471 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 348 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 321 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 146 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 137 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 137 | 1 | 1 | early Jun |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 64 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 569 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 361 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 240 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 210 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 0 | 0 | Apr-Sep |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena diastatops | 142 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 126 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 98 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 88 | 0 | 0 | late Jul |
| River Jewelwing | Calopteryx aequabilis | 81 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 53 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 6 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Taper-tailed Darner | Gomphaeschna antilope | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Incurvate Emerald | Somatochlora incurvata | 1 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
Perry County is split by the terminal moraine, which runs from the NE to the SW corners of the county. This means that the NW 1/3 of the county is within the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, while the remainder of the county is in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau ecoregion It has multiple named streams, such as Moxahala Creek (see Moxahala Watershed Restoration Commission), but no significant rivers (see Rivers of Perry County).
Places to visit
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