Crawford County
Known species county: 68
Total Observations county: 1,092
Population: 42,808
Area in Square Miles: 403
People per Square Mile: 106
Observations per Square Mile: 2.7
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 | Crawford Total | Ohio Total | Crawford 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 92 | 13,326 | 26 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 59 | 13,169 | 7 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 55 | 6,247 | 18 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 53 | 9,898 | 19 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 50 | 3,785 | 24 | 2023 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 48 | 479 | 35 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 48 | 13,870 | 9 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 45 | 10,727 | 14 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 44 | 3,492 | 19 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 35 | 10,352 | 3 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 34 | 8,819 | 7 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 33 | 7,169 | 16 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 29 | 4,247 | 12 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 25 | 3,377 | 3 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 24 | 6,971 | 1 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 22 | 4,146 | 3 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 21 | 5,692 | 1 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 20 | 4,097 | 10 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 20 | 3,628 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 19 | 2,115 | 6 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 18 | 5,111 | 0 | 2021 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 15 | 3,761 | 10 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 15 | 1,687 | 4 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 14 | 4,032 | 7 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 11 | 2,390 | 4 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 11 | 440 | 0 | 2022 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 10 | 1,357 | 7 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 10 | 4,313 | 3 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 10 | 2,364 | 0 | 2022 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 9 | 2,752 | 0 | 2022 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 8 | 1,991 | 5 | 2023 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 8 | 3,109 | 3 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 8 | 3,184 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 8 | 942 | 1 | 2023 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 7 | 544 | 2 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 7 | 2,839 | 0 | 2021 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 6 | 768 | 2 | 2023 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 6 | 1,031 | 1 | 2023 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 6 | 748 | 1 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 6 | 899 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 6 | 620 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 5 | 688 | 4 | 2023 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 5 | 1,518 | 1 | 2023 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 5 | 1,048 | 0 | 2021 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 4 | 471 | 3 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 4 | 1,241 | 0 | 2021 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 4 | 180 | 0 | 2019 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 3 | 285 | 3 | 2023 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 3 | 860 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 3 | 1,376 | 0 | 2019 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 3 | 740 | 0 | 2021 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 3 | 536 | 0 | 2021 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 3 | 443 | 0 | 2019 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 2 | 1,204 | 0 | 2019 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,056 | 0 | 2022 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 2 | 515 | 0 | 2018 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 2 | 467 | 0 | 2019 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 2 | 359 | 0 | 2019 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 255 | 0 | 2019 |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 2 | 191 | 0 | 2021 |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 2 | 19 | 0 | 2021 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 1 | 479 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 874 | 0 | 1992 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 1 | 542 | 0 | 1937 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 1 | 458 | 0 | 1896 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 1 | 446 | 0 | 2022 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 1 | 298 | 0 | 1979 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 1 | 172 | 0 | 2021 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 743 | 10 | 4 | late Jul |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 12 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 731 | 6 | 3 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 824 | 3 | 2 | Sep |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 478 | 2 | 2 | Jul |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 498 | 17 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 277 | 3 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 262 | 2 | 1 | Sep |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster diastatops | 131 | 2 | 1 | early Jun |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 802 | 1 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 733 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 451 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 439 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 192 | 1 | 1 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 141 | 1 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 73 | 1 | 1 | late Jul |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | 20 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,230 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 262 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 189 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 106 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Crawford County is located in the Till Plain ecoregion. Most of the county is within the Lake Erie watershed, but the southern part of the county drains to the south. The headwaters of the Sandusky River are located in the county’s SE corner, and it flows westward across the county before turning north in neighboring Wyandot County. The headwaters of the Olentangy River are located in Morrow County, alternating twice between northern and southern flows within Crawford County before turning almost due south and exiting the county in the center of its southern border. The Little Scioto River originates further west. flowing in parallel with the Olentangy before their eventual meeting in Franklin County.
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