Lorain County
Known species: 83
Total Observations: 5,133
Population: 302,827
Area in Square Miles: 491
People per Square Mile: 321
Observations per Square Mile: 10.5
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 | Lorain Total | Ohio Total | Lorain 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 365 | 13,326 | 64 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 364 | 13,169 | 52 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 354 | 13,870 | 56 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 352 | 9,898 | 62 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 246 | 10,352 | 35 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 214 | 8,819 | 29 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 199 | 10,727 | 32 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 180 | 3,785 | 45 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 176 | 6,971 | 27 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 173 | 7,169 | 29 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 156 | 4,032 | 30 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 145 | 4,146 | 38 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 145 | 5,692 | 16 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 145 | 3,377 | 14 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 144 | 6,247 | 28 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 122 | 3,628 | 17 | 2023 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 118 | 1,357 | 27 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 88 | 3,492 | 16 | 2023 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 87 | 3,109 | 20 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 86 | 2,839 | 6 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 80 | 3,184 | 10 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 72 | 4,313 | 11 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 69 | 1,687 | 17 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 63 | 2,752 | 18 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 63 | 4,247 | 7 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 53 | 2,115 | 13 | 2023 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 50 | 285 | 50 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 48 | 5,111 | 7 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 48 | 2,390 | 7 | 2023 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 44 | 1,991 | 12 | 2023 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 43 | 1,518 | 8 | 2023 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 37 | 1,056 | 3 | 2023 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 35 | 1,048 | 1 | 2023 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 33 | 544 | 13 | 2023 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 29 | 3,761 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 25 | 620 | 0 | 2022 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 24 | 4,097 | 2 | 2023 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 22 | 1,031 | 4 | 2023 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 17 | 467 | 0 | 2022 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 15 | 443 | 3 | 2023 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 15 | 740 | 2 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 14 | 1,241 | 3 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 13 | 440 | 2 | 2023 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 12 | 479 | 5 | 2023 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 12 | 479 | 0 | 2021 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 11 | 748 | 5 | 2023 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 11 | 439 | 3 | 2023 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 11 | 192 | 0 | 2021 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 10 | 731 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 10 | 942 | 1 | 2023 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 10 | 515 | 1 | 2023 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 9 | 610 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 8 | 874 | 2 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 7 | 2,364 | 0 | 2020 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 6 | 359 | 3 | 2023 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 6 | 536 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 6 | 1,204 | 0 | 2019 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 6 | 335 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 5 | 688 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 5 | 390 | 1 | 2023 |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 4 | 262 | 3 | 2023 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 4 | 824 | 1 | 2023 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 4 | 458 | 0 | 1960 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 3 | 145 | 2 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 3 | 899 | 1 | 2023 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 3 | 743 | 0 | 1989 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 3 | 542 | 0 | 1990 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 2 | 478 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 2 | 1,376 | 0 | 2022 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 2 | 277 | 0 | 2019 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 2 | 180 | 0 | 1942 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1 | 1,230 | 0 | 1895 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 860 | 0 | 2022 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 802 | 0 | 2016 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 768 | 0 | 2021 |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 1 | 498 | 0 | 2020 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 1 | 377 | 0 | 1989 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 1 | 298 | 0 | 2000 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 255 | 0 | 2004 |
| Striped Saddlebags | Tramea darwini | 1 | 33 | 0 | 2021 |
| Mottled Darner | Aeshna clepsydra | 1 | 31 | 0 | 1895 |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 1 | 18 | 0 | 1996 |
| Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2014 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 471 | 11 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 172 | 11 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 262 | 10 | 3 | Jun |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 7 | 3 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 5 | 3 | Aug |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 7 | 2 | Sep |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 191 | 4 | 2 | early Jun |
| Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 106 | 4 | 2 | Jul |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster maculata | 90 | 3 | 2 | late May-mid Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 2 | 2 | Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 141 | 2 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 121 | 19 | 1 | May |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 245 | 5 | 1 | Jun |
| Rambur's Forktail | Ischnura ramburii | 15 | 5 | 1 | Jul |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 50 | 3 | 1 | Sep |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 733 | 2 | 1 | Jun-Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 2 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 113 | 2 | 1 | early Jun |
| Southern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus vernalis | 113 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 684 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 451 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 189 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 170 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster diastatops | 131 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Splendid Clubtail | Gomphurus lineatifrons | 95 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 84 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 59 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 44 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Canada Darner | Aeshna canadensis | 41 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Beaverpond Baskettail | Epitheca canis | 38 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Appalachian Jewelwing | Calopteryx angustipennis | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Spine-crowned Clubtail | Hylogomphus abbreviatus | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Taper-tailed Darner | Gomphaeschna antilope | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Kennedy's Emerald | Somatochlora kennedyi | 1 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
Located on the shore of Lake Erie, Lorain County is primarily within the Lake Plains ecoregion. The SW corner of the county is in the Till Plains. The Black River is the most significant watercourse in the county. The county is entirely within the Lake Erie Watershed (See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map).
Places to Visit
Vermilion River Reservation. 39 species have been observed.
Vermilion - Lorain Water Trail. A paddler’s map and guide showing access to the Vermilion and Black Rivers and the Lake Erie Shoreline. Indicates facilities and shows parkland, including French Creek.
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 20 February 2024