Lorain County
Known species: 85
Total Observations: 9,277
Population: 302,827
Area in Square Miles: 491
People per Square Mile: 321
Observations per Square Mile: 10.5
Percent of State Species: 49%
Percent of State Observations: 3.0%
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 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 724 | 18,692 | 278 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 682 | 19,534 | 229 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 649 | 18,549 | 210 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 636 | 14,243 | 152 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 444 | 12,693 | 173 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 443 | 14,355 | 152 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 400 | 15,432 | 172 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 352 | 5,374 | 135 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 319 | 10,593 | 114 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 316 | 5,911 | 96 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 297 | 6,289 | 107 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 287 | 10,084 | 84 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 274 | 8,693 | 100 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 259 | 7,716 | 100 | 2025 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 236 | 4,080 | 40 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 214 | 5,028 | 68 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 204 | 4,797 | 103 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 177 | 4,110 | 78 | 2025 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 173 | 1,915 | 18 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 165 | 4,461 | 62 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 152 | 6,256 | 55 | 2025 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 147 | 2,314 | 45 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 130 | 3,706 | 49 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 128 | 7,430 | 61 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 120 | 4,380 | 19 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 113 | 6,026 | 39 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 100 | 2,589 | 45 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 95 | 2,863 | 20 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 81 | 3,264 | 30 | 2025 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 67 | 706 | 24 | 2025 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 64 | 2,034 | 9 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 55 | 5,543 | 29 | 2025 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 52 | 297 | 0 | 2024 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 50 | 1,444 | 11 | 2025 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 49 | 1,355 | 4 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 48 | 1,903 | 24 | 2025 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 48 | 849 | 15 | 2025 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 39 | 708 | 24 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 39 | 5,250 | 9 | 2025 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 30 | 1,353 | 6 | 2025 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 29 | 605 | 12 | 2025 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 28 | 263 | 14 | 2025 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 27 | 729 | 3 | 2025 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 22 | 1,069 | 10 | 2025 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 21 | 999 | 6 | 2025 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 21 | 616 | 1 | 2025 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 21 | 759 | 0 | 2024 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 20 | 443 | 11 | 2025 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 20 | 1,067 | 5 | 2025 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 20 | 513 | 2 | 2025 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 17 | 724 | 7 | 2025 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 14 | 615 | 1 | 2025 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 11 | 199 | 7 | 2025 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 11 | 414 | 5 | 2025 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 11 | 1,926 | 4 | 2025 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 10 | 837 | 4 | 2025 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 10 | 3,416 | 2 | 2025 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 10 | 1,150 | 2 | 2025 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 10 | 679 | 2 | 2025 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 10 | 991 | 0 | 2023 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 9 | 667 | 7 | 2025 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 7 | 494 | 1 | 2025 |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 6 | 395 | 0 | 2023 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 5 | 1,106 | 4 | 2025 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 5 | 1,238 | 2 | 2025 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 5 | 1,133 | 0 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 4 | 1,962 | 2 | 2025 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 4 | 329 | 2 | 2025 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 4 | 466 | 1 | 2025 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 4 | 540 | 0 | 1960 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 3 | 366 | 1 | 2025 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 3 | 939 | 0 | 1989 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 3 | 763 | 0 | 1990 |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 2 | 685 | 0 | 2024 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 2 | 247 | 0 | 1942 |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 1 | 383 | 1 | 2025 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1 | 1,600 | 0 | 1895 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 1 | 1,043 | 0 | 2021 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 1,012 | 0 | 2016 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 1 | 486 | 0 | 1989 |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 1 | 170 | 0 | 2024 |
| Striped Saddlebags | Tramea darwini | 1 | 60 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 207 | 13 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 706 | 16 | 3 | late May-early Jun |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 382 | 16 | 3 | Jun |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 298 | 10 | 3 | early Jun |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 7 | 3 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 6 | 3 | Aug |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 70 | 10 | 2 | Sep |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 363 | 7 | 2 | Sep |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 134 | 4 | 2 | Jul |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 961 | 3 | 2 | Jun-Sep |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 99 | 3 | 2 | late May-mid Jun |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 181 | 2 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 163 | 24 | 1 | May |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 428 | 5 | 1 | Jun |
| Rambur's Forktail | Ischnura ramburii | 15 | 5 | 1 | Jul |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 153 | 3 | 1 | early Jun |
| Southern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus vernalis | 133 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 46 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 977 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 566 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 461 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 244 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 226 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena diastatops | 150 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Splendid Clubtail | Gomphurus lineatifrons | 141 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 99 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Beaverpond Baskettail | Epitheca canis | 89 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 85 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 74 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 49 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Canada Darner | Aeshna canadensis | 41 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| 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. 42 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 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