Seneca County
Known species: 54
Total Observations: 1,004
Population: 55,914
Area in Square Miles: 551
People per Square Mile: 101
Observations per Square Mile: 1.8
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 | Seneca Total | Ohio Total | Seneca 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 95 | 5,692 | 36 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 95 | 9,898 | 22 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 79 | 13,326 | 22 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 64 | 8,819 | 31 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 62 | 6,247 | 9 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 47 | 5,111 | 27 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 42 | 13,169 | 10 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 39 | 10,727 | 11 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 32 | 2,364 | 8 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 30 | 3,785 | 2 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 29 | 4,247 | 7 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 29 | 3,184 | 5 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 28 | 3,377 | 6 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 28 | 10,352 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 26 | 7,169 | 7 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 21 | 13,870 | 2 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 20 | 3,492 | 0 | 2022 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 19 | 4,097 | 2 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 19 | 4,313 | 1 | 2023 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 18 | 860 | 2 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 16 | 6,971 | 13 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 14 | 1,376 | 0 | 2022 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 13 | 3,761 | 3 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 12 | 440 | 0 | 1988 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 8 | 2,752 | 0 | 2022 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 5 | 2,390 | 2 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 4 | 1,241 | 2 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 4 | 4,146 | 1 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 4 | 2,839 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 4 | 2,115 | 0 | 2006 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 4 | 942 | 0 | 2018 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 3 | 768 | 2 | 2023 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 3 | 277 | 2 | 2023 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 3 | 3,109 | 0 | 2022 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 3 | 1,204 | 0 | 2018 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 3 | 479 | 0 | 2018 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 3 | 467 | 0 | 2022 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 2 | 743 | 1 | 2023 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 2 | 1,991 | 0 | 1996 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 2 | 1,031 | 0 | 2006 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 2 | 899 | 0 | 2022 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 2 | 536 | 0 | 2022 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 2 | 458 | 0 | 2018 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 255 | 0 | 2019 |
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | 1 | 20 | 1 | 2023 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1 | 1,056 | 0 | 2022 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 1 | 1,048 | 0 | 2019 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 1 | 688 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 1 | 620 | 0 | 2022 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 1 | 478 | 0 | 2018 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 451 | 0 | 1991 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 1 | 377 | 0 | 1937 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 1 | 272 | 0 | 2017 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 1 | 189 | 0 | 1990 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 3,628 | 103 | 6 | Jul |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 1,687 | 78 | 6 | late May-mid Jun |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,357 | 70 | 6 | early Jun |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 4,032 | 65 | 6 | Jul |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 748 | 27 | 6 | late May-early Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 443 | 26 | 5 | Jul-Aug |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 544 | 20 | 4 | Jul |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 515 | 18 | 4 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1,518 | 16 | 4 | early Jun |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 192 | 15 | 4 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 285 | 14 | 4 | Jun |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 740 | 13 | 4 | Jun |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 180 | 7 | 4 | Jun-Jul |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 802 | 77 | 3 | late May-mid Jun |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 479 | 23 | 3 | Jun |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 824 | 18 | 3 | Sep |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 731 | 11 | 3 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 90 | 8 | 3 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 359 | 7 | 3 | Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 73 | 6 | 3 | late Jul |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 19 | 5 | 3 | late May |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 471 | 7 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 5 | 2 | Jun |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 2 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 340 | 54 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 170 | 13 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,230 | 6 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 6 | 1 | Jun |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 191 | 2 | 1 | early Jun |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 2 | 1 | Aug |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,037 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 874 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 446 | 1 | 1 | May |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 439 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 172 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 542 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 298 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
The Columbus Escarpment cuts diagonally across Seneca County from the NE corner to the lower 1/3 of the western border. The area above this geological feature is 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. The area south of this line are within the Till Plains ecoregion. The Sandusky River flows north through 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).
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 18 January 2024