Wayne County

Known species: 80
Total Observations: 2,095
Population: 115,071
Area in Square Miles: 555
People per Square Mile: 207
Observations per Square Mile: 2.8
Percent of State Species: 46%
Percent of State Observations:
0.8%

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.

Wayne County Ohio

Observed Species

Common NameScientific NameWayne TotalOhio TotalWayne 2024Last Sighted
Blue DasherPachydiplax longipennis19715,601172024
Eastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollis18316,365382024
Common WhitetailPlathemis lydia16712,022312024
Fragile ForktailIschnura posita14813,199522024
Eastern ForktailIschnura verticalis12715,992402024
Autumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinum1178,456682024
Eastern AmberwingPerithemis tenera8510,88792024
Sphagnum SpriteNehalennia gracilis83443182024
Ebony JewelwingCalopteryx maculata838,606152024
Widow SkimmerLibellula luctuosa7711,931112024
Familiar BluetEnallagma civile636,173252024
Wandering GliderPantala flavescens501,523152024
Common Green DarnerAnax junius475,16082024
Halloween PennantCelithemis eponina454,187102024
Band-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum semicinctum44931262024
Twelve-spotted SkimmerLibellula pulchella423,74032024
Black SaddlebagsTramea lacerata383,38052024
Slender SpreadwingLestes rectangularis353,904112024
Skimming BluetEnallagma geminatum323,832222024
Fawn DarnerBoyeria vinosa3051922024
Aurora DamselChromagrion conditum24576202024
Orange BluetEnallagma signatum243,791122024
Violet DancerArgia fumipennis violacea227,55792024
Blue-fronted DancerArgia apicalis206,58452024
Stream BluetEnallagma exsulans194,80382024
Powdered DancerArgia moesta185,141162024
Eastern Red DamselAmphiagrion saucium171,42072024
Painted SkimmerLibellula semifasciata161,20882024
Blue-tipped DancerArgia tibialis164,49232024
Azure BluetEnallagma aspersum162,48822024
Unicorn ClubtailArigomphus villosipes162,06502022
Great SpreadwingArchilestes grandis1495952024
Spot-winged GliderPantala hymenaea1056222024
American RubyspotHetaerina americana94,44472024
Ashy ClubtailPhanogomphus lividus91,00922024
Prince BaskettailEpitheca princeps82,78822024
Double-striped BluetEnallagma basidens85,34312024
Swamp DarnerEpiaeschna heros871502022
Spatterdock DarnerRhionaeschna mutata839602023
Shadow DarnerAeshna umbrosa71,18722024
Dot-tailed WhitefaceLeucorrhinia intacta71,70212024
Elegant SpreadwingLestes inaequalis758012024
Sedge SpriteNehalennia irene639612024
Four-spotted SkimmerLibellula quadrimaculata629512024
Ruby MeadowhawkSympetrum rubicundulum696502004
Common BaskettailEpitheca cynosura587422024
Westfall's Slender BluetEnallagma traviatum westfalli52,36701997
Rainbow BluetEnallagma antennatum448522024
Amber-winged SpreadwingLestes eurinus470612024
Green-striped DarnerAeshna verticalis434212024
Calico PennantCelithemis elisa43,19402003
Smoky RubyspotHetaerina titia337732024
Slaty SkimmerLibellula incesta34,92002022
Blue-ringed DancerArgia sedula32,83702023
Midland ClubtailGomphurus fraternus392702016
Royal River CruiserMacromia taeniolata359802023
Emerald SpreadwingLestes dryas356702019
Great Blue SkimmerLibellula vibrans350102022
Springtime DarnerBasiaeschna janata337401939
Lance-tipped DarnerAeshna constricta336102017
Plains ClubtailGomphurus externus223622024
Carolina SaddlebagsTramea carolina21,26312024
Lancet ClubtailPhanogomphus exilis21,80302018
Citrine ForktailIschnura hastata296202021
Spotted SpreadwingLestes congener286001987
Comet DarnerAnax longipes260502019
Arrow ClubtailStylurus spiniceps232102023
Dusky ClubtailPhanogomphus spicatus225801995
Variegated MeadowhawkSympetrum corruptum114912024
Spangled SkimmerLibellula cyanea11,19702022
DragonhunterHagenius brevistylus158901984
Tule BluetEnallagma carunculatum156901912
Sweetflag SpreadwingLestes forcipatus151401969
Eastern Least ClubtailStylogomphus albistylus132902023
White-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum obtrusum130501960
Southern SpreadwingLestes australis128401969
Lyre-tipped SpreadwingLestes unguiculatus121001938
Twin-spotted SpiketailZoraena maculata19502023
Marsh BluetEnallagma ebrium16601991
Riffle SnaketailOphiogomphus carolus14501993


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 NameScientific NameOhio ObsLocal Obs# of CountiesPeak Active
Swamp SpreadwingLestes vigilax608525Jul
Black-tipped DarnerAeshna tuberculifera163514late Aug-early Sep
Swift River CruiserMacromia illinoiensis760374Jul-Aug
Gray PetaltailTachopteryx thoreyi446224Jun
Lilypad ForktailIschnura kellicotti8581923Jun-Sep
Dusky DancerArgia translata1,681753Jul
Turquoise BluetEnallagma divagans918693May-Jun
Vesper BluetEnallagma vesperum922543Jun
Cyrano DarnerNasiaeschna pentacantha321223mid Jun
Mocha EmeraldSomatochlora linearis202203late Jun-late Aug
Arrowhead SpiketailZoraena obliqua189153late May-early Jun
Red SaddlebagsTramea onusta146113Jun-Jul
Clamp-tipped EmeraldSomatochlora tenebrosa217103Aug
Blue-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum ambiguum1,452772late Aug-mid Sep
Racket-tailed EmeraldDorocordulia libera66232Jun
Rapids ClubtailPhanogomphus quadricolor377202Jun
Delta-spotted SpiketailZoraena diastatops142112early Jun
Ocellated DarnerBoyeria grafiana53112Sep
Tiger SpiketailZoraena erronea12692Jul
Rusty SnaketailOphiogomphus rupinsulensis34862Jun
Brush-tipped EmeraldSomatochlora walshii1762mid Jun-mid Jul
Black-shouldered SpinylegDromogomphus spinosus67142Jun-Jul
Southern Pygmy ClubtailLanthus vernalis12122late May-early Jun
Macromia HybridMacromia pacifica x taeniolata10022late Jul-mid Aug
Cobra ClubtailGomphurus vastus471531Jun
Seepage DancerArgia bipunctulata1,230421Jun-Jul
Elfin SkimmerNannothemis bella555231Jun-Jul
Stream CruiserDidymops transversa140221May
Hagen's BluetEnallagma hageni8571Jun
Harlequin DarnerGomphaeschna furcillata12661late May-early Jun
Slender BaskettailEpitheca costalis2441late May
Rambur's ForktailIschnura ramburii1541Jul
Chalk-fronted CorporalLadona julia5931late May
Lilypad ClubtailArigomphus furcifer13721early Jun
Gilded River CruiserMacromia pacifica8821late Jul
Scarlet SkimmerCrocothemis servilia221Jul
Handsome ClubtailGomphurus crassus20911late May-early Jun
Beaverpond BaskettailEpitheca canis6311May
Golden-winged SkimmerLibellula auripennis4511late Jun
Striped SaddlebagsTramea darwini3311early Oct
Wabash River CruiserMacromia wabashensis2511Aug
Banded PennantCelithemis fasciata86000Jul
Pronghorn ClubtailPhanogomphus graslinellus50300late May-early Jun
Splendid ClubtailGomphurus lineatifrons13900Jun
Green-faced ClubtailHylogomphus viridifrons9800mid Jun
River JewelwingCalopteryx aequabilis8100early Jun
Boreal BluetEnallagma boreale4400Jun
Northern SpreadwingLestes disjunctus2400Jun-Aug
Northern Pygmy ClubtailLanthus parvulus700Jun
Appalachian JewelwingCalopteryx angustipennis400
Spine-crowned ClubtailHylogomphus abbreviatus300Jun

Places to Visit

  • The 1,536-acre Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area consists of seasonally flooded moist soil meadows and some bottomland hardwoods. Parking and wetland access is available just SE of the hamlet of Funk, where the Observation Tower is located. 19 species have been identified. A new property to the north, on Angling Road, has not yet been explored. No facilities.

  • Most of the 5,700 acre Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area is located in Wayne County. 22 species have been identified. The ODNR map shows designated parking areas, but the township roads are lightly travelled, and there are many places where the water can be accessed by parking on the berm. Be aware that the area between Force Road (P5 & P19 on the map) and Coshocton CR 1 (P22) is a wildlife Refuge area and is closed to the public (hatchmarked on map). The Wildlife Area is unimproved, with few trails and no facilities. Holmesville (Holmes) on SR 83 has a convenience store/gas station, and the county seat, Wooster, has many restaurants and stores.

  • Browns Lake Bog Preserve. This 100-acre preserve has several unique habitats, including a bog with floating sphagnum moss mat and a 7-acre kettle lake. 15 species have been identified, here, including Sedge Sprite. Spaghnum Sprite is the most commonly seen species. No facilities.

  • Shreve Lake Wildlife Area. This 228 acre area includes a 58-acre lake. 16 species have been observed. No facilities.

  • The recently opened William J Robertson Nature Preserve is a 210 acre reclaimed industrial area in Rittman, in the NE corner of the county featuring multiple ponds. 25 species have been observed. Restrooms and picnic pavilion.

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.

Located in the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau ecoregion, approximately 70% of Wayne County is agricultural. It has no major rivers, but the county is split north to south by the upper Killbuck Creek, and a tributary of the Tuscarawas bisects the NE corner.

Brown's Lake Bog
Page updated 3 January 2025