Marion County
Known species: 56
Total Observations: 1,050
Population: 65,905
Area in Square Miles: 404
People per Square Mile: 163
Observations per Square Mile: 2.6
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 | Marion Total | Ohio Total | Marion 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 217 | 13,326 | 52 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 105 | 13,870 | 8 | 2023 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 63 | 3,109 | 29 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 61 | 13,169 | 12 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 55 | 9,898 | 16 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 53 | 10,727 | 18 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 49 | 5,111 | 7 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 48 | 8,819 | 10 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 45 | 10,352 | 8 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 36 | 5,692 | 10 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 36 | 3,628 | 6 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 32 | 3,785 | 2 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 25 | 2,839 | 6 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 21 | 4,146 | 6 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 15 | 4,313 | 1 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 14 | 3,184 | 5 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 14 | 2,364 | 1 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 13 | 6,971 | 0 | 2022 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 12 | 6,247 | 2 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 12 | 3,492 | 2 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 11 | 2,752 | 0 | 2022 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 9 | 1,991 | 8 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 8 | 4,097 | 0 | 2019 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 7 | 7,169 | 0 | 2022 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 7 | 3,377 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 7 | 688 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 6 | 544 | 5 | 2023 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 6 | 3,761 | 0 | 2022 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 6 | 1,241 | 0 | 2022 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 4 | 1,376 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 4 | 443 | 1 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 4 | 4,247 | 0 | 2019 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 4 | 942 | 0 | 1995 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 3 | 4,032 | 2 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 3 | 2,390 | 0 | 2019 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 3 | 2,115 | 0 | 2022 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 2 | 768 | 1 | 2023 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 2 | 1,048 | 0 | 2019 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 2 | 824 | 0 | 1992 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 2 | 620 | 0 | 2019 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 2 | 478 | 0 | 2018 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 2 | 458 | 0 | 2019 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 2 | 277 | 0 | 1987 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 2 | 255 | 0 | 2019 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 1 | 479 | 1 | 2023 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 1 | 479 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 1 | 1,687 | 0 | 2019 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1 | 1,357 | 0 | 1943 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1 | 1,056 | 0 | 1961 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 1 | 899 | 0 | 2022 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 860 | 0 | 1959 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 1 | 743 | 0 | 2018 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 1 | 536 | 0 | 2022 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 451 | 0 | 1961 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 1 | 180 | 0 | 1961 |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1959 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1,518 | 156 | 6 | early Jun |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 748 | 15 | 6 | late May-early Jun |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 1,031 | 16 | 5 | Sep-Oct |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 467 | 15 | 5 | Jun-Jul |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 874 | 21 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1,204 | 20 | 4 | late Aug-mid Sep |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 740 | 13 | 4 | Jun |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 515 | 12 | 4 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 42 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 285 | 6 | 3 | Jun |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 440 | 5 | 3 | Aug-Sep |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 73 | 5 | 3 | late Jul |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 731 | 51 | 2 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 471 | 7 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 542 | 4 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 439 | 4 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 191 | 4 | 2 | early Jun |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 172 | 3 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 3 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 19 | 3 | 2 | late May |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 802 | 2 | 2 | late May-mid Jun |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 446 | 2 | 2 | May |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 17 | 1 | Jun |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 192 | 5 | 1 | late Jun-late Aug |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 298 | 3 | 1 | May |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 359 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 1,230 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,037 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 90 | 1 | 1 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 262 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 245 | 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 |
| Splendid Clubtail | Gomphurus lineatifrons | 95 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
Marion County is located in the Till Plains ecoregion. The NW corner of the county is within the Lake Erie Watershed (See p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map). The southern and eastern part of the county is within the Scioto River Watershed, and is the furthest upstream of three counties that both the Scioto River and Olentangy River flow through.
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