Ross County
Known species: 76
Total Observations: 1,113
Population: 77,910
Area in Square Miles: 689
People per Square Mile: 112
Observations per Square Mile: 1.6
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 | Ross Total | Ohio Total | Ross 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 78 | 10,727 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 75 | 7,169 | 9 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 62 | 5,692 | 15 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 58 | 13,870 | 5 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 54 | 9,898 | 6 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 51 | 13,169 | 2 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 50 | 8,819 | 9 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 50 | 13,326 | 2 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 48 | 10,352 | 5 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 46 | 6,247 | 0 | 2022 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 40 | 4,313 | 4 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 39 | 3,785 | 5 | 2023 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 33 | 1,230 | 2 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 27 | 4,097 | 3 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 27 | 4,032 | 2 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 25 | 1,376 | 3 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 23 | 2,390 | 5 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 19 | 6,971 | 6 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 18 | 3,184 | 0 | 2022 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 16 | 3,761 | 5 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 14 | 5,111 | 2 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 14 | 3,377 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 14 | 2,364 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 14 | 1,518 | 0 | 2022 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 12 | 3,109 | 0 | 2022 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 12 | 2,115 | 0 | 2022 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 11 | 743 | 0 | 2022 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 10 | 1,991 | 4 | 2023 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 10 | 748 | 0 | 2022 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 9 | 3,628 | 1 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 9 | 2,752 | 0 | 2019 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 9 | 1,031 | 0 | 2022 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 9 | 684 | 0 | 2022 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 9 | 440 | 0 | 2018 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 8 | 2,839 | 2 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 8 | 4,247 | 1 | 2023 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 8 | 1,037 | 0 | 2019 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 8 | 899 | 0 | 2019 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 5 | 4,146 | 1 | 2023 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 5 | 298 | 0 | 1992 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 4 | 3,492 | 0 | 2022 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 4 | 1,204 | 0 | 2019 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 4 | 802 | 0 | 2021 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 4 | 688 | 0 | 2019 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 4 | 542 | 0 | 2020 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 4 | 471 | 0 | 2018 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 3 | 478 | 2 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 3 | 1,241 | 1 | 2023 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 3 | 768 | 0 | 2022 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 3 | 458 | 0 | 1960 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 3 | 277 | 0 | 2022 |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 3 | 189 | 0 | 2005 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 2 | 874 | 1 | 2023 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 2 | 515 | 1 | 2023 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 2 | 824 | 0 | 2022 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 740 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 2 | 620 | 0 | 2020 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 2 | 377 | 0 | 1992 |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 2 | 55 | 0 | 1954 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 1 | 439 | 1 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 1 | 1,687 | 0 | 2021 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 1 | 1,048 | 0 | 2019 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 1 | 467 | 0 | 1999 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 1 | 390 | 0 | 1995 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 1 | 346 | 0 | 2018 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 1 | 307 | 0 | 2019 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 255 | 0 | 1936 |
| Brown Spiketail | Cordulegaster bilineata | 1 | 216 | 0 | 1931 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 192 | 0 | 2021 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 1 | 172 | 0 | 2019 |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 1 | 145 | 0 | 1974 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 1 | 141 | 0 | 1992 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 1 | 121 | 0 | 1974 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 1 | 106 | 0 | 1996 |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 1 | 68 | 0 | 1997 |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 1 | 50 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 446 | 45 | 7 | May |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 1,056 | 32 | 5 | May |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 544 | 10 | 5 | Jul |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 479 | 17 | 4 | Jun |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 536 | 10 | 4 | late Jul-Aug |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 443 | 29 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 28 | 3 | Jun-Jul |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 731 | 23 | 3 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,357 | 8 | 3 | early Jun |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 942 | 5 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Yellow-sided Skimmer | Libellula flavida | 92 | 87 | 2 | late Jul |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 733 | 34 | 2 | Jun-Sep |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 11 | 2 | Aug |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 262 | 9 | 2 | Sep |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 262 | 7 | 2 | Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 5 | 2 | Apr-Sep |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 245 | 3 | 2 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 170 | 3 | 2 | late May-early Jun |
| Seepage Dancer | Argia bipunctulata | 1,028 | 40 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 37 | 36 | 1 | late Jun |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 7 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 340 | 4 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 4 | 1 | late Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 370 | 3 | 1 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 359 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 5 | 3 | 1 | Jun |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 141 | 2 | 1 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 479 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 451 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster maculata | 90 | 1 | 1 | late May-mid Jun |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 50 | 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 | 860 | 0 | 0 | Jul-Aug |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 180 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 106 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 101 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 5 | 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 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