Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)
(c) Kevin Dodds, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kevin Dodds · CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)
Dragonflies and damselfliesIn Montgomery County, Ohio

Widow Skimmer

Libellula luctuosa Burmeister, 1839

Widow Skimmer in all of Ohio
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Odonata
Near Montgomery County

Range

Where it is recorded

Season shown in 48 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio

  • No result yet (0)
  • Recorded, too few records for a result (8)
  • Recorded, season not shown (32)
  • Season shown (48)
Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary Files, 1:500,000. Show as a table
Counties as a table
Widow Skimmer by Ohio county: records and mapped range
CountyRecords
Adams County90 · Season shown
Allen County36 · Recorded, season not shown
Ashland County22 · Season shown
Ashtabula County111 · Season shown
Athens County29 · Season shown
Auglaize County49 · Season shown
Belmont County53 · Season shown
Brown County36 · Recorded, season not shown
Butler County59 · Recorded, season not shown
Carroll County25 · Season shown
Champaign County125 · Season shown
Clark County159 · Recorded, season not shown
Clermont County90 · Season shown
Clinton County26 · Season shown
Columbiana County30 · Season shown
Coshocton County60 · Season shown
Crawford County36 · Season shown
Cuyahoga County93 · Season shown
Darke County46 · Season shown
Defiance CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Delaware County67 · Season shown
Erie County58 · Season shown
Fairfield County50 · Season shown
Fayette County43 · Recorded, season not shown
Franklin County789 · Season shown
Fulton County26 · Season shown
Gallia County30 · Recorded, season not shown
Geauga County75 · Season shown
Greene County250 · Season shown
Guernsey CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Hamilton County183 · Season shown
Hancock County51 · Season shown
Hardin County98 · Recorded, season not shown
Harrison County59 · Season shown
Henry County23 · Season shown
Highland County32 · Recorded, season not shown
Hocking County29 · Recorded, season not shown
Holmes County20 · Recorded, season not shown
Huron County29 · Season shown
Jackson County42 · Recorded, season not shown
Jefferson County67 · Season shown
Knox County68 · Season shown
Lake County114 · Season shown
Lawrence County42 · Recorded, season not shown
Licking County175 · Season shown
Logan County121 · Season shown
Lorain County195 · Recorded, season not shown
Lucas County347 · Season shown
Madison County107 · Recorded, season not shown
Mahoning County57 · Recorded, season not shown
Marion County66 · Recorded, season not shown
Medina County156 · Season shown
Meigs County42 · Recorded, season not shown
Mercer County26 · Recorded, season not shown
Miami County73 · Season shown
Monroe County29 · Recorded, season not shown
Montgomery County208 · Season shown
Morgan County27 · Season shown
Morrow County49 · Recorded, season not shown
Muskingum County28 · Season shown
Noble County72 · Recorded, season not shown
Ottawa County29 · Season shown
Paulding CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Perry County21 · Recorded, season not shown
Pickaway County47 · Recorded, season not shown
Pike CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Portage County48 · Season shown
Preble County31 · Recorded, season not shown
Putnam County22 · Recorded, season not shown
Richland CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Ross County36 · Recorded, season not shown
Sandusky County46 · Season shown
Scioto County38 · Season shown
Seneca County36 · Season shown
Shelby County45 · Season shown
Stark County116 · Recorded, season not shown
Summit County370 · Season shown
Trumbull County46 · Recorded, season not shown
Tuscarawas CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Union County42 · Recorded, season not shown
Van Wert County39 · Recorded, season not shown
Vinton County25 · Season shown
Warren County96 · Recorded, season not shown
Washington CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wayne County46 · Recorded, season not shown
Williams CountyRecorded, too few records for a result
Wood County45 · Season shown
Wyandot County79 · Season shown

No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.

Season

When it is recorded

In Montgomery County

Late May to mid-September, middle week Jul 19–25

Show over the bars
Recording in Montgomery County · records of all species each week, 33,949 in all

Records per week from 208 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 126 dates. Latest record: September 2025.

Show as a table
Records of Widow Skimmer in Montgomery County each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Widow SkimmerYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–1000165
Jan 11–170071
Jan 18–2400156
Jan 25–3100194
Feb 1–700127
Feb 8–1400144
Feb 15–2100124
Feb 22–2800137
Mar 1–700122
Mar 8–1400221
Mar 15–2100272
Mar 22–2800269
Mar 29 – Apr 400482
Apr 5–1100674
Apr 12–1800853
Apr 19–2500812
Apr 26 – May 2001,172
May 3–900849
May 10–1611850
May 17–2321880
May 24–30661,224
May 31 – Jun 61451,255
Jun 7–131361,217
Jun 14–201661,247
Jun 21–271761,015
Jun 28 – Jul 4115990
Jul 5–111261,130
Jul 12–18741,190
Jul 19–252551,323
Jul 26 – Aug 111961
Aug 2–8841,177
Aug 9–151761,587
Aug 16–221151,241
Aug 23–291041,131
Aug 30 – Sep 51161,299
Sep 6–121151,342
Sep 13–19641,020
Sep 20–2643722
Sep 27 – Oct 332624
Oct 4–1011674
Oct 11–1700557
Oct 18–2400436
Oct 25–3111389
Nov 1–700296
Nov 8–1400279
Nov 15–2100235
Nov 22–2800210
Nov 29 – Dec 50094
Dec 6–120069
Dec 13–190085
Dec 20–2600104
Dec 27 – Jan 200252

Reported as an adult

Only 6 records here are marked as adults, too few to show a adult season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

Reported as a larva

No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

In Ohio

Early June to mid-September, middle week Jul 19–25

Show over the bars
Recording in Ohio · records of all species each week, 1,691,199 in all

Records per week from 10,059 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.

Recorded on 1,146 dates. Latest record: October 2025.

Show as a table
Records of Widow Skimmer in Ohio each week, and records of all species
WeekRecords of Widow SkimmerYears recordedRecords of all species
Jan 4–10006,211
Jan 11–17005,146
Jan 18–24004,645
Jan 25–31004,698
Feb 1–7006,023
Feb 8–14005,888
Feb 15–21005,436
Feb 22–28006,846
Mar 1–7008,321
Mar 8–140010,384
Mar 15–210012,620
Mar 22–280013,949
Mar 29 – Apr 40019,661
Apr 5–110026,860
Apr 12–180039,925
Apr 19–250041,623
Apr 26 – May 20056,391
May 3–90052,952
May 10–162153,785
May 17–236357,698
May 24–3064954,651
May 31 – Jun 62021053,099
Jun 7–133391053,700
Jun 14–205801056,625
Jun 21–277671055,361
Jun 28 – Jul 48771058,477
Jul 5–111,0091061,336
Jul 12–181,0011064,722
Jul 19–259001069,753
Jul 26 – Aug 18481059,416
Aug 2–86351059,712
Aug 9–156301055,994
Aug 16–224641054,328
Aug 23–293731051,772
Aug 30 – Sep 54351057,167
Sep 6–122751059,075
Sep 13–192601054,543
Sep 20–261851045,860
Sep 27 – Oct 399843,180
Oct 4–1075837,841
Oct 11–1727730,824
Oct 18–245421,156
Oct 25–311119,021
Nov 1–70014,172
Nov 8–140012,621
Nov 15–21007,965
Nov 22–28008,136
Nov 29 – Dec 5006,083
Dec 6–12006,004
Dec 13–19005,423
Dec 20–26005,661
Dec 27 – Jan 2008,459

Reported as an adult

Usually reported as an adult mid-June to mid-September, middle week Jul 26 – Aug 1.

From 823 records that are marked as adults. Not every photo is marked with a life stage, so this shows when people reported it as an adult, not when adults are about.

Reported as a larva

No records here are marked as larvae yet, so there is no larva season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.

What these results show

These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.

Identification

How to identify it

Telling it apart

From what Ohio’s records show. Only what the records support is shown.

Often confused with

  • Common Whitetail Plathemis lydiaOften confused in Ohio: 26 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
  • Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula pulchella55 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Spangled Skimmer Libellula cyanea37 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata35 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
  • Slaty Skimmer Libellula incesta29 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant

From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.

Months not reported

  1. Jan: no record
  2. Feb: no record
  3. Mar: no record
  4. Apr: no record
  5. May: recorded
  6. Jun: recorded
  7. Jul: recorded
  8. Aug: recorded
  9. Sep: recorded
  10. Oct: recorded
  11. Nov: no record
  12. Dec: no record

Not reported in Ohio in November to April, 2016 to 2025.

Land cover where it is recorded

Land coverIts recordsAll Ohio records
Developed36%49%
Farmland23%11%
Forest20%31%
Open water10%3%
Wetland6%5%
Grassland and shrub4%0.9%
Barren2%0.6%

From 3,438 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)

Sources

Where these results come from

  • Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
  • Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
  • See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.

Records behind the Montgomery County result

208 records from 1 dataset.

To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).

A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.