Wayne County

Known species: 77
Total Observations: 1,578
Population: 115,071
Area in Square Miles: 555
People per Square Mile: 207
Observations per Square Mile: 2.8

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 2023Last Sighted
Blue DasherPachydiplax longipennis17913,169162023
Eastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollis14413,870252023
Common WhitetailPlathemis lydia1359,898202023
Fragile ForktailIschnura posita9610,727172023
Eastern ForktailIschnura verticalis8713,326152023
Eastern AmberwingPerithemis tenera768,819142023
Ebony JewelwingCalopteryx maculata687,169102023
Widow SkimmerLibellula luctuosa6510,352102023
Sphagnum SpriteNehalennia gracilis6537092023
Autumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinum496,971292023
Common Green DarnerAnax junius394,14652023
Twelve-spotted SkimmerLibellula pulchella393,37742023
Familiar BluetEnallagma civile385,111112023
Halloween PennantCelithemis eponina353,62882023
Wandering GliderPantala flavescens351,24102022
Black SaddlebagsTramea lacerata332,83912023
Fawn DarnerBoyeria vinosa2844002010
Slender SpreadwingLestes rectangularis243,49222023
Band-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum semicinctum18860152023
Unicorn ClubtailArigomphus villosipes161,68702022
Blue-fronted DancerArgia apicalis155,69232023
Azure BluetEnallagma aspersum142,11512023
Violet DancerArgia fumipennis violacea136,24742023
Blue-tipped DancerArgia tibialis133,78542023
Orange BluetEnallagma signatum123,18442023
Stream BluetEnallagma exsulans114,09732023
Skimming BluetEnallagma geminatum103,10942023
Eastern Red DamselAmphiagrion saucium101,23012023
Great SpreadwingArchilestes grandis982422023
Painted SkimmerLibellula semifasciata81,05622023
Spatterdock DarnerRhionaeschna mutata833522023
Spot-winged GliderPantala hymenaea847802022
Ashy ClubtailPhanogomphus lividus787432023
Double-striped BluetEnallagma basidens74,31312023
Swamp DarnerEpiaeschna heros762002020
Prince BaskettailEpitheca princeps62,39022023
Dot-tailed WhitefaceLeucorrhinia intacta61,35701997
Ruby MeadowhawkSympetrum rubicundulum694202004
Elegant SpreadwingLestes inaequalis647901995
Four-spotted SkimmerLibellula quadrimaculata528552023
Shadow DarnerAeshna umbrosa51,03112023
Sedge SpriteNehalennia irene535912023
Westfall's Slender BluetEnallagma traviatum westfalli51,99101997
Aurora DamselChromagrion conditum447122023
Calico PennantCelithemis elisa42,75202003
Blue-ringed DancerArgia sedula32,36412023
Royal River CruiserMacromia taeniolata353612023
Green-striped DarnerAeshna verticalis326212023
Slaty SkimmerLibellula incesta34,03202022
Midland ClubtailGomphurus fraternus380202016
Common BaskettailEpitheca cynosura374801995
Amber-winged SpreadwingLestes eurinus361001997
Emerald SpreadwingLestes dryas347902019
Great Blue SkimmerLibellula vibrans346702022
Lance-tipped DarnerAeshna constricta335802017
Springtime DarnerBasiaeschna janata329801939
Powdered DancerArgia moesta24,24712023
American RubyspotHetaerina americana23,76112023
Rainbow BluetEnallagma antennatum245812023
Arrow ClubtailStylurus spiniceps230512023
Lancet ClubtailPhanogomphus exilis21,51802018
Citrine ForktailIschnura hastata289902021
Spotted SpreadwingLestes congener273101987
Dusky ClubtailPhanogomphus spicatus219101995
Eastern Least ClubtailStylogomphus albistylus126212023
Twin-spotted SpiketailCordulegaster maculata19012023
Carolina SaddlebagsTramea carolina11,04802022
Spangled SkimmerLibellula cyanea11,03702022
Comet DarnerAnax longipes151501987
Tule BluetEnallagma carunculatum149801912
Sweetflag SpreadwingLestes forcipatus144301969
DragonhunterHagenius brevistylus143901984
White-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum obtrusum127201960
Southern SpreadwingLestes australis125501969
Lyre-tipped SpreadwingLestes unguiculatus118001938
Marsh BluetEnallagma ebrium16601991
Riffle SnaketailOphiogomphus carolus13501993


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
Black-tipped DarnerAeshna tuberculifera141474late Aug-early Sep
Swamp SpreadwingLestes vigilax544394Jul
Gray PetaltailTachopteryx thoreyi390194Jun
Lilypad ForktailIschnura kellicotti7331553Jun-Sep
Turquoise BluetEnallagma divagans768523May-Jun
Dusky DancerArgia translata1,376513Jul
Vesper BluetEnallagma vesperum740463Jun
Swift River CruiserMacromia illinoiensis688303Jul-Aug
Mocha EmeraldSomatochlora linearis192193late Jun-late Aug
Red SaddlebagsTramea onusta145113Jun-Jul
Clamp-tipped EmeraldSomatochlora tenebrosa20863Aug
Plains ClubtailGomphurus externus1891412mid Jun-mid Jul
Blue-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum ambiguum1,204392late Aug-mid Sep
Racket-tailed EmeraldDorocordulia libera64232Jun
Cyrano DarnerNasiaeschna pentacantha277152mid Jun
Ocellated DarnerBoyeria grafiana50112Sep
Delta-spotted SpiketailCordulegaster diastatops131102early Jun
Rapids ClubtailPhanogomphus quadricolor28792Jun
Arrowhead SpiketailCordulegaster obliqua17292late May-early Jun
Tiger SpiketailCordulegaster erronea10682Jul
Rusty SnaketailOphiogomphus rupinsulensis24562Jun
Brush-tipped EmeraldSomatochlora walshii1652mid Jun-mid Jul
Black-shouldered SpinylegDromogomphus spinosus54242Jun-Jul
Southern Pygmy ClubtailLanthus vernalis11322late May-early Jun
Smoky RubyspotHetaerina titia346541early Sep
Cobra ClubtailGomphurus vastus377431Jun
Elfin SkimmerNannothemis bella485201Jun-Jul
Stream CruiserDidymops transversa121191May
Seepage DancerArgia bipunctulata1,028171Jun-Jul
Hagen's BluetEnallagma hageni8471Jun
Slender BaskettailEpitheca costalis1941late May
Rambur's ForktailIschnura ramburii1541Jul
Chalk-fronted CorporalLadona julia5931late May
Lilypad ClubtailArigomphus furcifer11321early Jun
Harlequin DarnerGomphaeschna furcillata10621late May-early Jun
Gilded River CruiserMacromia pacifica7321late Jul
Scarlet SkimmerCrocothemis servilia221Jul
Handsome ClubtailGomphurus crassus17011late May-early Jun
Macromia HybridMacromia pacifica x taeniolata9011late Jul-mid Aug
Beaverpond BaskettailEpitheca canis3811May
Striped SaddlebagsTramea darwini3311early Oct
Wabash River CruiserMacromia wabashensis2511Aug
Banded PennantCelithemis fasciata68400Jul
Pronghorn ClubtailPhanogomphus graslinellus45100late May-early Jun
Variegated MeadowhawkSympetrum corruptum11700Apr-Sep
Splendid ClubtailGomphurus lineatifrons9500Jun
River JewelwingCalopteryx aequabilis7700early Jun
Green-faced ClubtailHylogomphus viridifrons5900mid Jun
Boreal BluetEnallagma boreale4400Jun
Northern SpreadwingLestes disjunctus2400Jun-Aug
Northern Pygmy ClubtailLanthus parvulus700Jun
Appalachian JewelwingCalopteryx angustipennis400
Spine-crowned ClubtailHylogomphus abbreviatus300Jun

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.

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. 13 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. 21 species have been observed. Restrooms and picnic pavilion.

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.

Brown's Lake Bog
Page updated 7 Feb 2024