Lawrence County
Known species: 65
Total Observations: 1,227
Population: 61,917
Area in Square Miles: 453
People per Square Mile: 136
Observations per Square Mile: 2.2
Percent of State Species: 38%
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 | Lawrence Total | Ohio Total | Lawrence 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 135 | 19,534 | 5 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 101 | 18,692 | 3 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 74 | 8,693 | 2 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 73 | 5,911 | 5 | 2025 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 67 | 977 | 2 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 60 | 12,693 | 1 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 59 | 14,355 | 2 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 56 | 15,432 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 44 | 7,716 | 1 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 42 | 2,589 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 40 | 5,374 | 1 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 39 | 6,256 | 0 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 31 | 4,380 | 1 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 30 | 5,543 | 4 | 2025 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 27 | 1,304 | 0 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 26 | 3,706 | 0 | 2024 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 24 | 592 | 5 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 24 | 14,243 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 21 | 1,962 | 2 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 20 | 18,549 | 0 | 2024 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 19 | 706 | 0 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 17 | 4,461 | 0 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 15 | 10,084 | 1 | 2025 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 15 | 2,034 | 0 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 13 | 10,593 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 13 | 2,863 | 0 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 12 | 7,430 | 0 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 11 | 4,110 | 0 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 10 | 5,028 | 0 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 8 | 3,264 | 0 | 2024 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 6 | 763 | 0 | 2024 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 6 | 494 | 0 | 2023 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 6 | 171 | 0 | 2018 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 5 | 263 | 2 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 5 | 6,026 | 0 | 2023 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 5 | 1,926 | 0 | 2018 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 5 | 667 | 0 | 2022 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 5 | 615 | 0 | 1990 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 4 | 6,289 | 0 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 4 | 1,444 | 0 | 2020 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 4 | 1,238 | 0 | 2019 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 4 | 999 | 0 | 2024 |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 4 | 205 | 0 | 1899 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 3 | 696 | 1 | 2025 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 3 | 1,043 | 0 | 2024 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 3 | 849 | 0 | 2022 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 3 | 724 | 0 | 2024 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 3 | 605 | 0 | 2018 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 3 | 466 | 0 | 1990 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 2 | 4,797 | 0 | 2020 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 2 | 1,150 | 0 | 1899 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 2 | 1,067 | 0 | 2024 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 2 | 759 | 0 | 2023 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 1 | 961 | 1 | 2025 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 1 | 837 | 1 | 2025 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 1 | 4,080 | 0 | 1996 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 1 | 1,903 | 0 | 2022 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1 | 1,353 | 0 | 2022 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 1 | 991 | 0 | 1998 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 1 | 706 | 0 | 2009 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 1 | 616 | 0 | 2022 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 1 | 382 | 0 | 2024 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 1 | 207 | 0 | 1996 |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 1 | 163 | 0 | 2024 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 1 | 134 | 0 | 2019 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1,355 | 11 | 3 | May |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 729 | 7 | 3 | mid Jun |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 2,314 | 17 | 2 | late May-mid Jun |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 939 | 8 | 2 | late Jul |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 513 | 8 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1,012 | 7 | 2 | late May-mid Jun |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 421 | 5 | 2 | early Sep |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 3,416 | 3 | 2 | Jul |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,915 | 3 | 2 | early Jun |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 679 | 2 | 2 | late Jul-Aug |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 69 | 67 | 1 | late Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 461 | 7 | 1 | Sep |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 68 | 6 | 1 | May |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 4 | 1 | Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 4 | 1 | Aug |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 3 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1,133 | 2 | 1 | Sep |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1,106 | 2 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 329 | 2 | 1 | May |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 5,250 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 566 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Yellow-sided Skimmer | Libellula flavida | 112 | 1 | 1 | late Jul |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,600 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 52 | 0 | 0 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Cherry-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum internum | 14 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 6 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Located along the Ohio River, Lawrence County is the southernmost county in Ohio. It is in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau ecoregion. Its most significant interior watercourse is Symmes Creek (426 ft³/s, 12 m³/s).
Places to visit
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