Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Libellula pulchella Drury, 1773
Twelve-spotted Skimmer in all of Ohio- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Odonata
- Family
- Libellulidae
- Genus
- Libellula
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 14 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (5)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (60)
- Recorded, season not shown (9)
- Season shown (14)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Allen County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashtabula County | 55 · Season shown |
| Athens County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Auglaize County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Belmont County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Brown County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Butler County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Carroll County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Champaign County | 49 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Clark County | 63 · Season shown |
| Clermont County | 55 · Season shown |
| Clinton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Columbiana County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Coshocton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Crawford County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Cuyahoga County | 102 · Season shown |
| Darke County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Defiance County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Delaware County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Erie County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fairfield County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fayette County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Franklin County | 86 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Fulton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Gallia County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Geauga County | 28 · Season shown |
| Greene County | 70 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Guernsey County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hamilton County | 39 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Hancock County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hardin County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Harrison County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Henry County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Highland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hocking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Holmes County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Huron County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Jackson County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Jefferson County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Knox County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lake County | 71 · Season shown |
| Lawrence County | No qualifying records yet |
| Licking County | 20 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Logan County | 21 · Season shown |
| Lorain County | 60 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Lucas County | 203 · Season shown |
| Madison County | 23 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Mahoning County | 28 · Season shown |
| Marion County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Medina County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Meigs County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Mercer County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Miami County | 23 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Monroe County | No qualifying records yet |
| Montgomery County | 72 · Season shown |
| Morgan County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Morrow County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Muskingum County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Noble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Paulding County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Perry County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pickaway County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pike County | No qualifying records yet |
| Portage County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Preble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Putnam County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Richland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ross County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Sandusky County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Scioto County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Seneca County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Shelby County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Stark County | 47 · Season shown |
| Summit County | 126 · Season shown |
| Trumbull County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Tuscarawas County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Union County | 27 · Season shown |
| Van Wert County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Warren County | 21 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Washington County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wayne County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Williams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wood County | 24 · Season shown |
| Wyandot County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Union County
Mid-May to late August, middle week Jul 26 – Aug 1
Records per week from 27 records in 6 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 16 dates. Latest record: August 2022.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 26 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Apr 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 49 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 39 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 0 | 0 | 114 |
| May 3–9 | 0 | 0 | 66 |
| May 10–16 | 0 | 0 | 71 |
| May 17–23 | 6 | 1 | 164 |
| May 24–30 | 0 | 0 | 193 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 1 | 1 | 63 |
| Jun 7–13 | 0 | 0 | 97 |
| Jun 14–20 | 1 | 1 | 80 |
| Jun 21–27 | 1 | 1 | 185 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 0 | 0 | 109 |
| Jul 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 156 |
| Jul 12–18 | 2 | 1 | 205 |
| Jul 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 120 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 6 | 3 | 161 |
| Aug 2–8 | 2 | 2 | 182 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 99 |
| Aug 16–22 | 3 | 2 | 145 |
| Aug 23–29 | 0 | 0 | 132 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 3 | 1 | 131 |
| Sep 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 54 |
| Sep 13–19 | 1 | 1 | 117 |
| Sep 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 78 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 0 | 0 | 111 |
| Oct 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 53 |
| Oct 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 48 |
| Oct 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 36 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
Reported as an adult
Only 2 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
Late May to late August, middle week Jun 28 – Jul 4
Records per week from 2,592 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 814 dates. Latest record: September 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 0 | 0 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 4 | 1 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 3 | 3 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 42 | 9 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 133 | 10 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 207 | 10 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 282 | 10 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 291 | 10 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 260 | 10 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 213 | 10 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 173 | 10 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 168 | 9 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 98 | 10 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 131 | 10 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 104 | 10 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 116 | 10 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 97 | 9 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 96 | 9 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 83 | 10 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 31 | 10 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 26 | 8 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 19 | 7 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 9 | 4 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 3 | 3 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 2 | 2 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 1 | 1 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 8,459 |
Reported as an adult
Usually reported as an adult late May to late August, middle week Jun 28 – Jul 4.
From 363 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
Often confused with
- Common Whitetail Plathemis lydiaOften confused in Ohio: 62 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa55 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Painted Skimmer Libellula semifasciata51 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Prince Baskettail Epitheca princeps34 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Banded Pennant Celithemis fasciata29 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
- Jan: no record
- Feb: no record
- Mar: no record
- Apr: no record
- May: recorded
- Jun: recorded
- Jul: recorded
- Aug: recorded
- Sep: recorded
- Oct: recorded
- Nov: no record
- Dec: no record
Not reported in Ohio in November to April, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 35%49% |
| Farmland | 28%11% |
| Forest | 20%31% |
| Wetland | 10%5% |
| Barren | 3%0.6% |
| Open water | 3%3% |
| Grassland and shrub | 2%0.9% |
From 969 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 Union County result
27 records from 2 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 23 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 4 recordsiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
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.