Scioto County
Known species: 77
Total Observations: 1,090
Population: 78,153
Area in Square Miles: 610
People per Square Mile: 127
Observations per Square Mile: 1.7
Percent of State Species: 45%
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 | Scioto Total | Ohio Total | Scioto 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 131 | 4,920 | 10 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 109 | 15,601 | 4 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 78 | 11,931 | 13 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 78 | 13,199 | 7 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 71 | 16,365 | 3 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 58 | 10,887 | 1 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 44 | 12,022 | 1 | 2024 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 41 | 1,197 | 9 | 2024 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 41 | 860 | 4 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 33 | 7,557 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 31 | 8,606 | 4 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 31 | 5,141 | 2 | 2024 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 27 | 601 | 14 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 22 | 6,584 | 2 | 2024 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 21 | 858 | 0 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 20 | 4,187 | 1 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 19 | 5,160 | 5 | 2024 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 18 | 874 | 4 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 15 | 1,803 | 1 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 13 | 15,992 | 1 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 12 | 8,456 | 0 | 2022 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 12 | 5,343 | 0 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 10 | 2,788 | 0 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 9 | 2,488 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 8 | 4,492 | 1 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 8 | 3,791 | 0 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 8 | 1,681 | 0 | 2023 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 7 | 671 | 0 | 2023 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 7 | 390 | 0 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 6 | 962 | 0 | 2022 |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 6 | 63 | 0 | 2019 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 5 | 6,173 | 0 | 2022 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 5 | 4,803 | 0 | 2022 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 4 | 3,832 | 0 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 4 | 3,194 | 0 | 1997 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 4 | 598 | 0 | 1996 |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 3 | 149 | 3 | 2024 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 3 | 374 | 2 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 3 | 4,444 | 0 | 2019 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 3 | 3,904 | 0 | 2022 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 3 | 3,380 | 0 | 2019 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 3 | 2,367 | 0 | 2019 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 3 | 1,208 | 0 | 2020 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 3 | 918 | 0 | 1997 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 3 | 608 | 0 | 2019 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 3 | 589 | 0 | 2020 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 3 | 580 | 0 | 2022 |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 3 | 217 | 0 | 2023 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 3 | 140 | 0 | 2021 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 2 | 3,740 | 0 | 2019 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 2 | 2,837 | 0 | 2019 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 2 | 1,523 | 0 | 2019 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 2 | 1,263 | 0 | 2019 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 922 | 0 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 2 | 519 | 0 | 1990 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 284 | 0 | 1970 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 1 | 471 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 1,009 | 0 | 1997 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 1 | 965 | 0 | 2002 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 1 | 809 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 1 | 760 | 0 | 2016 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 1 | 706 | 0 | 2019 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 605 | 0 | 2022 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 1 | 576 | 0 | 1997 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 1 | 562 | 0 | 2020 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 503 | 0 | 1962 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 1 | 377 | 0 | 1897 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 1 | 305 | 0 | 1897 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 202 | 0 | 2002 |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 1 | 137 | 0 | 2006 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 1 | 126 | 0 | 2016 |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 1 | 24 | 0 | 1958 |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1991 |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 1 | 16 | 0 | 1961 |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 1 | 14 | 0 | 1897 |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1984 |
| Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1983 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 446 | 37 | 4 | Jun |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1,452 | 25 | 4 | late Aug-mid Sep |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 715 | 7 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 189 | 22 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 2,065 | 20 | 3 | late May-mid Jun |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 959 | 14 | 3 | Sep |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 168 | 14 | 3 | late Jun-mid Jul |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 501 | 9 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1,187 | 8 | 3 | Sep-Oct |
| Yellow-sided Skimmer | Libellula flavida | 102 | 97 | 2 | late Jul |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,420 | 14 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 860 | 8 | 2 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 329 | 7 | 2 | Jun |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 64 | 62 | 1 | late Jun |
| Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,230 | 48 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 927 | 37 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 447 | 19 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 16 | 1 | late Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 377 | 5 | 1 | Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 45 | 4 | 1 | late Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 443 | 3 | 1 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 321 | 3 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 295 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 5 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,702 | 2 | 1 | early Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 514 | 2 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 240 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 209 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 95 | 2 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 567 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 342 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 236 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 163 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 146 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 98 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 485 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Scioto County lies within the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Located on the Ohio River, the Scioto River splits the county in half, flowing into the Ohio at Portsmouth.
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