Ross County
Known species: 78
Total Observations: 1,390
Population: 77,910
Area in Square Miles: 689
People per Square Mile: 112
Observations per Square Mile: 1.6
Percent of State Species: 45%
Percent of State Observations: 0.5%
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 | Ross Total | Ohio Total | Ross 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 88 | 19,534 | 21 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 87 | 10,084 | 5 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 86 | 15,432 | 5 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 74 | 7,716 | 9 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 70 | 14,355 | 15 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 69 | 18,692 | 11 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 69 | 14,243 | 7 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 63 | 12,693 | 8 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 55 | 5,374 | 7 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 53 | 18,549 | 0 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 52 | 8,693 | 2 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 44 | 6,256 | 4 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 38 | 5,911 | 7 | 2025 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 38 | 1,600 | 3 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 31 | 3,264 | 7 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 29 | 5,543 | 0 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 28 | 1,962 | 0 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 21 | 10,593 | 1 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 20 | 4,461 | 7 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 20 | 2,589 | 6 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 19 | 5,250 | 2 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 19 | 4,380 | 0 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 18 | 4,080 | 1 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 17 | 5,028 | 7 | 2025 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 17 | 2,034 | 2 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 15 | 2,863 | 3 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 15 | 7,430 | 1 | 2025 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 15 | 3,416 | 1 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 13 | 4,110 | 3 | 2025 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 13 | 939 | 2 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 12 | 3,706 | 2 | 2025 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 11 | 1,067 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 11 | 615 | 1 | 2025 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 11 | 6,026 | 0 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 9 | 6,289 | 4 | 2025 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 9 | 466 | 4 | 2025 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 9 | 1,353 | 0 | 2022 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 9 | 977 | 0 | 2022 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 8 | 1,304 | 0 | 2019 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 8 | 1,238 | 0 | 2019 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 7 | 4,797 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 6 | 1,926 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 5 | 1,150 | 2 | 2025 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 5 | 1,012 | 1 | 2025 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 5 | 837 | 0 | 2024 |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 4 | 163 | 3 | 2025 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 4 | 849 | 2 | 2025 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 4 | 763 | 0 | 2020 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 4 | 706 | 0 | 2018 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 4 | 366 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 3 | 696 | 3 | 2025 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 3 | 1,444 | 1 | 2025 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 3 | 724 | 1 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 3 | 1,903 | 0 | 2023 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 3 | 1,043 | 0 | 2022 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 3 | 999 | 0 | 2024 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 3 | 667 | 0 | 2023 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 3 | 540 | 0 | 1960 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 3 | 244 | 0 | 2005 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 2 | 1,133 | 0 | 2022 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 2 | 486 | 0 | 1992 |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 2 | 68 | 0 | 1954 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 1 | 2,314 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 729 | 0 | 2023 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 1 | 513 | 0 | 1999 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 1 | 494 | 0 | 1995 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 1 | 461 | 0 | 2019 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 443 | 0 | 2024 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 1 | 421 | 0 | 2018 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 329 | 0 | 1936 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 263 | 0 | 2021 |
| Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 1 | 247 | 0 | 1931 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 1 | 207 | 0 | 2019 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 1 | 199 | 0 | 1974 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 1 | 171 | 0 | 1992 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 1 | 134 | 0 | 1996 |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 1 | 74 | 0 | 1997 |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 1 | 70 | 0 | 1997 |
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 | 39 | 5 | May |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 706 | 13 | 5 | Jul |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 616 | 20 | 4 | Jun |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 679 | 11 | 4 | late Jul-Aug |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 961 | 39 | 3 | Jun-Sep |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 759 | 38 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 605 | 31 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1,069 | 23 | 3 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,915 | 8 | 3 | early Jun |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 991 | 5 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Yellow-sided Skimmer | Libellula flavida | 112 | 107 | 2 | late Jul |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 592 | 58 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 382 | 12 | 2 | Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 251 | 11 | 2 | Aug |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 395 | 10 | 2 | Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 5 | 2 | Apr-Sep |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 3 | 2 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 428 | 3 | 2 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 226 | 3 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 708 | 2 | 2 | Jun |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 69 | 67 | 1 | late Jun |
| Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,464 | 50 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 341 | 7 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 181 | 4 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 46 | 4 | 1 | late Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 514 | 3 | 1 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 19 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 99 | 2 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 566 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 52 | 1 | 1 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1,106 | 0 | 0 | Jul-Aug |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 247 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 205 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 135 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Ross County lies within three ecoregions. The northern 1/3 of the county is within the the Till Plains. The Allegheny Escapement cuts across the county from the NE corner to the western quadrant, and where it takes a 90 degree turn to the south. Everything south and east of this geological feature is considered Allegheny Plateau. The center 1/3 of the county is glaciated, and the southernmost 1/3 is unglaciated. Major watercourses are the Scioto River, which flows south to the Ohio, and its tributary, Paint 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 13 January 2026