Richland County
Known species: 79
Total Observations: 1,300
Population: 121,773
Area in Square Miles: 495
People per Square Mile: 243
Observations per Square Mile: 2.1
Percent of State Species: 46%
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 | Richland Total | Ohio Total | Richland 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 115 | 18,549 | 9 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 107 | 14,243 | 10 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 88 | 19,534 | 21 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 86 | 18,692 | 15 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 70 | 15,432 | 11 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 63 | 12,693 | 7 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 58 | 5,543 | 0 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 54 | 10,084 | 6 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 52 | 5,911 | 8 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 51 | 10,593 | 5 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 48 | 14,355 | 6 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 35 | 8,693 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 31 | 5,374 | 2 | 2025 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 29 | 540 | 0 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 27 | 6,289 | 6 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 27 | 4,797 | 5 | 2025 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 24 | 4,080 | 2 | 2025 |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 18 | 685 | 0 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 17 | 2,314 | 2 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 16 | 7,430 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 15 | 7,716 | 3 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 15 | 4,461 | 1 | 2025 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 15 | 513 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 14 | 2,863 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 14 | 615 | 0 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 13 | 4,380 | 4 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 13 | 5,028 | 1 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 13 | 3,264 | 1 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 11 | 6,256 | 1 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 10 | 4,110 | 2 | 2025 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 10 | 1,915 | 0 | 2024 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 10 | 605 | 0 | 2022 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 9 | 1,353 | 3 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 9 | 2,589 | 0 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 7 | 991 | 0 | 2019 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 7 | 706 | 0 | 2023 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 5 | 466 | 0 | 2024 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 4 | 706 | 4 | 2025 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 4 | 679 | 2 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 4 | 1,903 | 1 | 2025 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 4 | 1,043 | 1 | 2025 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 4 | 443 | 1 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 4 | 6,026 | 0 | 2021 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 4 | 1,600 | 0 | 1942 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 4 | 1,355 | 0 | 2017 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 4 | 616 | 0 | 2022 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 3 | 5,250 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 3 | 1,150 | 1 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 3 | 3,706 | 0 | 2019 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 3 | 1,962 | 0 | 2018 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 3 | 1,238 | 0 | 2013 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 3 | 1,133 | 0 | 2015 |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 3 | 1,069 | 0 | 2019 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 3 | 849 | 0 | 2021 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 3 | 708 | 0 | 2019 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 2 | 2,034 | 0 | 2022 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 2 | 1,444 | 0 | 2019 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 2 | 759 | 0 | 2015 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 2 | 414 | 0 | 2016 |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 2 | 395 | 0 | 2014 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 2 | 207 | 0 | 2015 |
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena diastatops | 2 | 150 | 0 | 2015 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1 | 1,106 | 0 | 1959 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 1 | 1,012 | 0 | 1960 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 999 | 0 | 1958 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 1 | 961 | 0 | 2016 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 1 | 939 | 0 | 2014 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 724 | 0 | 2024 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 566 | 0 | 1960 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 1 | 382 | 0 | 1993 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 1 | 363 | 0 | 1959 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 329 | 0 | 2024 |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 1 | 298 | 0 | 1958 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 1 | 297 | 0 | 2023 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 263 | 0 | 1993 |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 1 | 251 | 0 | 2024 |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 1 | 181 | 0 | 2015 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 1 | 134 | 0 | 1999 |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 1 | 26 | 0 | 1899 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 3,416 | 52 | 4 | Jul |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 837 | 25 | 4 | Jul-Aug |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 1,067 | 21 | 4 | late May-early Jun |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 729 | 10 | 3 | mid Jun |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 667 | 9 | 3 | Jul |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 428 | 6 | 2 | Jun |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 763 | 3 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 1,926 | 2 | 2 | late Aug-mid Sep |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 2 | 2 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 494 | 9 | 1 | Jun |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 247 | 6 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 199 | 2 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Slender Baskettail | Epitheca costalis | 28 | 2 | 1 | late May |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 696 | 1 | 1 | May |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 366 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 110 | 1 | 1 | late Jul-mid Aug |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 99 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 1,304 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 977 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 514 | 0 | 0 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Splendid Clubtail | Gomphurus lineatifrons | 141 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 99 | 0 | 0 | late May-mid Jun |
| 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 |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Saffron-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum costiferum | 20 | 0 | 0 | Oct |
| Appalachian Jewelwing | Calopteryx angustipennis | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| Spine-crowned Clubtail | Hylogomphus abbreviatus | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
Richland County is in the Till Plains ecoregion. Straddling the Continental Divide, 3 of its watersheds flow north into Lake Erie (see p. 11 in Ohio Coastal Atlas: Chapter 2 for a detailed watershed map). 5 watersheds flow south to the Ohio River, the western part of the county through the Scioto River, and the eastern part through the Muskingum (see Watersheds of Richland County).
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 13 January 2026