Sandusky County
Known species: 67
Total Observations: 1,194
Population: 60,098
Area in Square Miles: 408
People per Square Mile: 144
Observations per Square Mile: 2.7
Percent of State Species: 39%
Percent of State Observations: 0.5%
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 | Sandusky Total | Ohio Total | Sandusky 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 99 | 15,601 | 12 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 86 | 15,992 | 8 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 85 | 16,365 | 9 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 71 | 12,022 | 9 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 64 | 4,492 | 8 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 56 | 8,456 | 0 | 2022 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 55 | 10,887 | 15 | 2024 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 55 | 447 | 1 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 43 | 11,931 | 6 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 42 | 8,606 | 8 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 41 | 5,160 | 5 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 40 | 6,173 | 18 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 38 | 7,557 | 3 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 36 | 13,199 | 4 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 30 | 3,904 | 1 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 27 | 3,740 | 5 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 26 | 2,837 | 4 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 26 | 1,681 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 22 | 6,584 | 4 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 19 | 5,343 | 2 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 18 | 3,194 | 2 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 17 | 4,803 | 1 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 15 | 3,380 | 1 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 14 | 3,791 | 2 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 13 | 5,141 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 11 | 519 | 1 | 2024 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 10 | 1,420 | 2 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 10 | 1,523 | 0 | 2023 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 10 | 809 | 0 | 2020 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 8 | 4,187 | 3 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 8 | 2,788 | 2 | 2024 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 8 | 471 | 0 | 1900 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 7 | 567 | 0 | 2023 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 5 | 1,187 | 0 | 2019 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 5 | 965 | 0 | 2019 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 5 | 931 | 0 | 2018 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 5 | 927 | 0 | 1903 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 5 | 202 | 0 | 2020 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 4 | 2,065 | 1 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 4 | 4,920 | 0 | 2022 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 4 | 4,444 | 0 | 2023 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 4 | 605 | 0 | 2022 |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 3 | 100 | 1 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 3 | 2,367 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 3 | 1,702 | 0 | 2022 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 3 | 1,263 | 0 | 2022 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 2 | 3,832 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 2 | 321 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 2 | 1,452 | 0 | 2021 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,208 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 2 | 715 | 0 | 2022 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 2 | 598 | 0 | 2022 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 2 | 562 | 0 | 2023 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 2 | 501 | 0 | 2022 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 2 | 485 | 0 | 1960 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 2 | 295 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 1,009 | 0 | 1937 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 1 | 962 | 0 | 2021 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 1 | 874 | 0 | 2017 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 1 | 514 | 0 | 2018 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 503 | 0 | 2019 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 396 | 0 | 2020 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 1 | 396 | 0 | 2022 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 1 | 390 | 0 | 1899 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 284 | 0 | 2022 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 1 | 210 | 0 | 2019 |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 1 | 66 | 0 | 1932 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 2,488 | 20 | 5 | Jun-Jul |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 760 | 20 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 922 | 14 | 3 | Jun |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1,803 | 5 | 3 | early Jun |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 860 | 5 | 3 | late Aug-late Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 3 | 3 | Sep |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 569 | 14 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 361 | 9 | 2 | Sep |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 918 | 4 | 2 | May-Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 4 | 2 | Apr-Sep |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 88 | 4 | 2 | late Jul |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 146 | 3 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 209 | 13 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 342 | 8 | 1 | Sep |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 189 | 7 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 959 | 5 | 1 | Sep |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 608 | 3 | 1 | Jul |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 580 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 258 | 2 | 1 | early Jun |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 2 | 1 | Aug |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 706 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 589 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 446 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 236 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 217 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | 20 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 16 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 671 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 576 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 374 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 163 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 137 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 85 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Northern Bluet | Enallagma annexum | 71 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 45 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 44 | 0 | 0 | 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 |
| Kennedy's Emerald | Somatochlora kennedyi | 1 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
Sandusky 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. Located on Lake Erie, the Sandusky River flows north through the county into Sandusky Bay which forms the NE border of the county (see Sandusky River and Sandusky Bay Tributaries Watersheds). 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
Portage 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 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