Guernsey County
Known species: 64
Total Observations: 1,104
Population: 39,636
Area in Square Miles: 522
People per Square Mile: 75
Observations per Square Mile: 1.6
Percent of State Species: 37%
Percent of State Observations: 0.4%
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 | Guernsey Total | Ohio Total | Guernsey 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 101 | 7,430 | 12 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 85 | 18,549 | 1 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 78 | 4,380 | 2 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 71 | 14,243 | 2 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 65 | 12,693 | 10 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 64 | 19,534 | 6 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 62 | 18,692 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 48 | 15,432 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 41 | 7,716 | 4 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 31 | 14,355 | 3 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 30 | 4,461 | 0 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 29 | 3,264 | 3 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 22 | 4,110 | 2 | 2025 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 22 | 1,962 | 1 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 20 | 5,911 | 0 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 19 | 10,084 | 1 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 18 | 8,693 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 17 | 5,374 | 1 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 17 | 10,593 | 0 | 2023 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 17 | 1,304 | 0 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 16 | 6,256 | 2 | 2025 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 16 | 2,314 | 0 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 15 | 1,903 | 2 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 15 | 6,289 | 0 | 2024 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 15 | 1,069 | 0 | 1984 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 13 | 667 | 0 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 13 | 615 | 0 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 12 | 5,543 | 0 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 12 | 4,797 | 0 | 2024 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 12 | 763 | 0 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 10 | 6,026 | 0 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 9 | 2,589 | 1 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 9 | 5,028 | 0 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 9 | 2,034 | 0 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 8 | 4,080 | 0 | 2022 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 7 | 1,133 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 5 | 2,863 | 0 | 2024 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 5 | 679 | 0 | 2019 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 4 | 3,706 | 0 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 3 | 5,250 | 0 | 2018 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 3 | 1,600 | 0 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 3 | 1,444 | 0 | 2024 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 3 | 759 | 0 | 1980 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 3 | 706 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 2 | 3,416 | 0 | 2018 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,355 | 0 | 1993 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 1,067 | 0 | 2020 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 2 | 991 | 0 | 1995 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 616 | 0 | 2019 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 2 | 466 | 0 | 1992 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 2 | 421 | 0 | 2017 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 1 | 977 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1 | 1,915 | 0 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1 | 1,353 | 0 | 2018 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 1,043 | 0 | 1993 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 1,012 | 0 | 2023 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 999 | 0 | 1963 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 729 | 0 | 2018 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 1 | 696 | 0 | 2020 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 1 | 494 | 0 | 1937 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 329 | 0 | 1961 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 1 | 207 | 0 | 1936 |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 1 | 163 | 0 | 2018 |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 1 | 92 | 0 | 2018 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1,150 | 104 | 6 | late May-early Jun |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 724 | 40 | 6 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 837 | 9 | 6 | Jul-Aug |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 1,238 | 27 | 5 | Jun-Aug |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 706 | 18 | 4 | Jul |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1,106 | 6 | 4 | Jul-Aug |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 12 | 3 | Jun |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 6 | 3 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 199 | 5 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 708 | 4 | 3 | Jun |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 513 | 19 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 849 | 15 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 366 | 5 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1,926 | 4 | 2 | late Aug-mid Sep |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 395 | 3 | 2 | Sep |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 134 | 3 | 2 | Jul |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 99 | 3 | 2 | late May-mid Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 605 | 2 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 382 | 2 | 2 | Jun |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 181 | 2 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 52 | 20 | 1 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 14 | 1 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 244 | 8 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 363 | 6 | 1 | Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 6 | 1 | Aug |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 592 | 2 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 566 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 205 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 14 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 4 | 1 | 1 | |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 685 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 540 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 428 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 297 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 263 | 0 | 0 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 247 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 99 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 74 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Guernsey County is located in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Much of the county was strip mined, and reclamation is not yet complete. Wills Creek, which has its headwaters to the south in Noble County, flows north to south across the entire county. The county has two significant artificial lakes, 3,550 acre Seneca Lake, and 2,952 acre Salt Fork Lake.
Places to Visit
Senecaville State Fish Hatchery is located on over 120 acres in southern Guernsey County below the dam of Senecaville Lake. 34 species have been observed at this location. Visits are permitted Monday-Friday from 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM, except holidays.
Seneca(ville) Lake 26 species have been observed around the lake (which also lies partly in Noble County)
Salt Fork State Park is a 20,400 acre facility featuring the 2,952 acre Salt Fork Lake. 35 species have been observed in this area.
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.
Page updated 12 January 2026