Sandusky County
Known species: 67
Total Observations: 1,090
Population: 60,098
Area in Square Miles: 408
People per Square Mile: 144
Observations per Square Mile: 2.7
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 | Sandusky Total | Ohio Total | Sandusky 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 87 | 13,169 | 10 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 78 | 13,326 | 31 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 75 | 13,870 | 8 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 62 | 9,898 | 15 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 56 | 3,785 | 25 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 56 | 6,971 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 54 | 340 | 8 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 40 | 8,819 | 10 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 37 | 10,352 | 4 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 36 | 4,146 | 11 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 35 | 6,247 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 34 | 7,169 | 11 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 32 | 10,727 | 11 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 29 | 3,492 | 7 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 25 | 1,376 | 1 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 22 | 3,377 | 6 | 2023 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 22 | 2,364 | 3 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 22 | 5,111 | 0 | 2022 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 18 | 5,692 | 1 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 17 | 4,313 | 1 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 16 | 4,097 | 2 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 16 | 2,752 | 1 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 14 | 2,839 | 1 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 12 | 3,184 | 0 | 2022 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 11 | 4,247 | 2 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 10 | 1,241 | 1 | 2023 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 10 | 743 | 0 | 2020 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 10 | 440 | 0 | 1986 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 8 | 1,230 | 0 | 2022 |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 8 | 377 | 0 | 1900 |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 7 | 479 | 2 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 6 | 2,390 | 1 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 5 | 3,628 | 0 | 2022 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 5 | 1,031 | 0 | 2019 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 5 | 942 | 0 | 2019 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 5 | 860 | 0 | 2018 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 5 | 802 | 0 | 1903 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 5 | 192 | 0 | 2020 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 4 | 3,761 | 1 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 4 | 4,032 | 0 | 2022 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 4 | 515 | 0 | 2022 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 3 | 1,991 | 0 | 2021 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 3 | 1,687 | 0 | 2020 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 3 | 1,357 | 0 | 2022 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 3 | 1,048 | 0 | 2022 |
| Four-spotted Skimmer | Libellula quadrimaculata | 2 | 285 | 2 | 2023 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 2 | 478 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 2 | 1,204 | 0 | 2021 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 2 | 1,056 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 2 | 620 | 0 | 2022 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 2 | 536 | 0 | 2022 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 2 | 467 | 0 | 2022 |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 2 | 458 | 0 | 1960 |
| Macromia Hybrid | Macromia pacifica x taeniolata | 2 | 90 | 0 | 2021 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 1 | 3,109 | 0 | 2022 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 1 | 899 | 0 | 2021 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 1 | 874 | 0 | 1937 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 1 | 748 | 0 | 2017 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 451 | 0 | 2019 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 1 | 443 | 0 | 2018 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 1 | 359 | 0 | 2022 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 335 | 0 | 2020 |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 1 | 307 | 0 | 1899 |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 1 | 277 | 0 | 2022 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 1 | 255 | 0 | 2022 |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 1 | 180 | 0 | 2019 |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 1 | 66 | 0 | 1932 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 2,115 | 18 | 5 | Jun-Jul |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 688 | 17 | 3 | Jul-Aug |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 740 | 10 | 3 | Jun |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 731 | 5 | 3 | late Aug-late Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 3 | 3 | Sep |
| Tule Bluet | Enallagma carunculatum | 498 | 14 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 9 | 2 | Sep |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 1,518 | 4 | 2 | early Jun |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 768 | 4 | 2 | May-Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 73 | 4 | 2 | late Jul |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 3 | 2 | Jun-Jul |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 3 | 2 | Apr-Sep |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 170 | 13 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 262 | 7 | 1 | Sep |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 172 | 7 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 824 | 5 | 1 | Sep |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 544 | 3 | 1 | Jul |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 479 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 2 | 1 | Aug |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 610 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 390 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 208 | 1 | 1 | Aug |
| Skillet Clubtail | Gomphurus ventricosus | 26 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| River Bluet | Enallagma anna | 20 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Band-winged Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax umbrata | 16 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Aug |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 542 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 471 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 305 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 298 | 0 | 0 | May |
| Dusky Clubtail | Phanogomphus spicatus | 191 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 189 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 141 | 0 | 0 | late Aug-early Sep |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 113 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Hagen's Bluet | Enallagma hageni | 84 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Northern Bluet | Enallagma annexum | 65 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Golden-winged Skimmer | Libellula auripennis | 44 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Boreal Bluet | Enallagma boreale | 44 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
| Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 6 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Kennedy's Emerald | Somatochlora kennedyi | 1 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
Sandusky County lies within the Maumee Lake Plains area of the Huron-Erie Lake Plains ecoregion, which was the location of the now mostly-drained and channelized Black Swamp. Located on Lake Erie, the Sandusky River flows north through the county into Sandusky Bay which forms the NE border of the county (see Sandusky River and Sandusky Bay Tributaries Watersheds). 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
Portage River Water Trail. Map shows parkland, water access points, and facilities.
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 21 February 2024