Champaign County
Known species county: 92
Total Observations county: 10,013
Population: 39,455
Area in Square Miles: 430
People per Square Mile: 92
Observations per Square Mile: 23.3
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 | Champaign Total | Ohio Total | Champaign 2023 | Last Sighted |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 865 | 1,028 | 171 | 2023 |
Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 589 | 9,898 | 98 | 2023 |
Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 499 | 6,247 | 37 | 2023 |
Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 488 | 13,326 | 117 | 2023 |
Elfin Skimmer | Nannothemis bella | 460 | 485 | 48 | 2023 |
Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 451 | 7,169 | 71 | 2023 |
Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 445 | 1,230 | 75 | 2023 |
Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 363 | 4,313 | 46 | 2023 |
Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 337 | 10,727 | 47 | 2023 |
Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 309 | 13,870 | 28 | 2023 |
Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 307 | 10,352 | 37 | 2023 |
Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 276 | 8,819 | 35 | 2023 |
Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 269 | 13,169 | 17 | 2023 |
Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 264 | 2,364 | 32 | 2023 |
Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 228 | 6,971 | 45 | 2023 |
Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 223 | 3,109 | 35 | 2023 |
Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 214 | 340 | 35 | 2023 |
Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 207 | 498 | 25 | 2023 |
Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 181 | 2,752 | 14 | 2023 |
Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 172 | 733 | 23 | 2023 |
Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 160 | 1,056 | 22 | 2023 |
Brown Spiketail | Cordulegaster bilineata | 151 | 216 | 12 | 2023 |
Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 149 | 1,376 | 20 | 2023 |
Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 143 | 3,184 | 47 | 2023 |
Paiute Dancer | Argia alberta | 129 | 347 | 20 | 2023 |
Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 116 | 3,377 | 6 | 2023 |
Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 115 | 860 | 11 | 2023 |
Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 112 | 5,692 | 16 | 2023 |
Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 110 | 5,111 | 28 | 2023 |
Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 103 | 2,390 | 9 | 2023 |
Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 95 | 3,628 | 4 | 2023 |
Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 90 | 2,839 | 5 | 2023 |
Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 87 | 544 | 14 | 2023 |
Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 80 | 4,146 | 17 | 2023 |
Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 79 | 1,518 | 21 | 2023 |
Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 71 | 1,991 | 14 | 2023 |
Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 65 | 743 | 8 | 2023 |
Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 64 | 208 | 4 | 2023 |
Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 62 | 390 | 3 | 2023 |
Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 54 | 3,492 | 1 | 2023 |
Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 49 | 740 | 10 | 2023 |
Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 49 | 942 | 3 | 2023 |
Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 48 | 370 | 2 | 2023 |
Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 44 | 1,031 | 8 | 2023 |
Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 43 | 2,115 | 3 | 2023 |
Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 42 | 1,357 | 1 | 2023 |
Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 42 | 899 | 0 | 2022 |
Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 35 | 467 | 0 | 2022 |
Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 34 | 1,204 | 3 | 2023 |
Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 29 | 542 | 3 | 2023 |
Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 26 | 1,687 | 1 | 2023 |
Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 25 | 335 | 4 | 2023 |
Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 23 | 874 | 4 | 2023 |
Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 20 | 440 | 0 | 2021 |
Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 19 | 4,032 | 6 | 2023 |
Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 19 | 620 | 2 | 2023 |
Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 14 | 1,241 | 1 | 2023 |
Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 13 | 4,097 | 1 | 2023 |
Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 13 | 3,785 | 1 | 2023 |
American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 13 | 3,761 | 1 | 2023 |
Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 12 | 4,247 | 2 | 2023 |
Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 11 | 443 | 0 | 2022 |
Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 9 | 1,048 | 0 | 2022 |
Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 8 | 285 | 8 | 2023 |
Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 7 | 748 | 1 | 2023 |
Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 7 | 610 | 0 | 2022 |
Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 7 | 180 | 0 | 1995 |
Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 6 | 824 | 2 | 2023 |
Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 5 | 479 | 1 | 2023 |
White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 5 | 272 | 1 | 2023 |
Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 5 | 731 | 0 | 2022 |
Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 5 | 515 | 0 | 2018 |
Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 4 | 479 | 0 | 2022 |
Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 4 | 471 | 0 | 1972 |
Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 4 | 359 | 0 | 1954 |
Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 4 | 255 | 0 | 2018 |
Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 3 | 536 | 1 | 2023 |
Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 3 | 358 | 0 | 2019 |
Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 3 | 117 | 0 | 2020 |
Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 2 | 451 | 0 | 2022 |
Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 2 | 439 | 0 | 2021 |
Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 2 | 277 | 0 | 2022 |
Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 2 | 192 | 0 | 2020 |
Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 2 | 16 | 0 | 2018 |
Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 768 | 0 | 2017 |
Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 1 | 684 | 0 | 2021 |
Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 1 | 478 | 0 | 2021 |
Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 1 | 458 | 0 | 1959 |
Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 1 | 298 | 0 | 2020 |
Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 1 | 262 | 0 | 2017 |
Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 1 | 172 | 0 | 2017 |
Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2022 |
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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,037 | 30 | 4 | Jun |
Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 802 | 30 | 4 | late May-mid Jun |
Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 688 | 30 | 4 | Jul-Aug |
Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 10 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 9 | 3 | Jun |
Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 73 | 6 | 3 | late Jul |
Jade Clubtail | Arigomphus submedianus | 106 | 84 | 2 | late Jun-late Aug |
Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 446 | 33 | 2 | May |
Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 18 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 14 | 2 | Jun |
Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 90 | 2 | 2 | late Jul-mid Aug |
Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 170 | 18 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 106 | 9 | 1 | Jul |
Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 245 | 5 | 1 | Jun |
Eastern Ringtail | Erpetogomphus designatus | 150 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 191 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 84 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 59 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
Hine's Emerald | Somatochlora hineana | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Champaign County lies entirely within the Till Plains ecoregion, and most of the county is within the Great Miami River Watershed. The county is bisected north to south by the Mad River. It is one of the "spring valley" counties, characterized by many springs, seeps, bogs and fens (see Glacial Geology of Champaign County, Ohio).
Places to Visit
Champaign County has a number of excellent odonata observation sites. It provides the best viewing in Ohio for Elfin Skimmers. It is also one of the counties where you can see all 8 Ohio Argia species in one day.
Cedar Bog State Nature Preserve has great Odonata habitat. 59 species have been observed, and the relatively rare state-listed Elfin Skimmer and Seepage Dancer are the most frequently observed. Accessible via 1 mile boardwalk, access to sedge-meadow fens, hardwood forest swamp, two clear-water streams. The property also has a man-made pond, vernal pools, and Massasauga habitat that are not open to the public. Located in the Mad River valley, it is Ohio's oldest dedicated State Nature Preserve and a National Natural Landmark. It ranks the highest of any site in the state for its great diversity of plants. There is adequate parking, and restrooms are located in the Nature Center. Cedar Bog is open during limited hours and has an admission fee.
Kiser Lake was historically a chain of three glacial remnant ponds on Mosquito Creek. A dam was constructed at the west end creating an impoundment that is now 396 acre Kiser Lake. Stream, fen, lake provided Odonata habitat. 42 species have been observed. See also Kiser Lake Wetlands State Nature Preserve.
Kiser Lake State Park has camping and restrooms. There is a fee to camp. The lake supports a currently increasing population of Lilypad Forktails and also Phanogomphus Clubtails.
Kiser Lake State Nature Preserve. Two fen areas that feed Kiser Lake are a State Nature Preserve. The larger on the east end has a boardwalk. Species of interest for the wetlands are state-listed Sphagnum Sprite as well as Spiketails and Mosaic Darners. Visiting the wetlands is free.
Melvin Miller Park is a city park for the city of Urbana where 20 species have been identified. It has a spring-fed fishing pond with most of the typical pond Odonata species. A popular recreational area, there is good parking and access to restrooms.
Mad River, a high-sustained low-flow tributary of the Great Miami River (which it joins in Dayton) flows through Champaign Co, from north to south. Typical species are stream Dragons and Damsels. The Mad is considered to be an excellent trout stream. While walking access is limited, there are many bridges over the Mad where you can stop. Two of the best places are the bridges at SR 36 and SR 55, these are also put-ins for local canoe liveries. Neither location has restrooms. See access maps Mad River Access and Mad River trout fishing.
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 7 March 2024