Athens County
Known species county: 87
Total Observations county: 1,198
Population: 64,681
Area in Square Miles: 508
People per Square Mile: 127
Observations per Square Mile: 2.4
Percent of State Species: 50%
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 | Athens Total | Ohio Total | Athens 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 137 | 13,199 | 23 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 110 | 16,365 | 20 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 67 | 12,022 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 61 | 15,601 | 10 | 2024 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 51 | 601 | 10 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 51 | 15,992 | 4 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 45 | 11,931 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 44 | 8,606 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 42 | 6,584 | 3 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 38 | 10,887 | 7 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 36 | 1,803 | 4 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 36 | 5,343 | 1 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 31 | 8,456 | 1 | 2024 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 31 | 1,197 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 28 | 4,444 | 1 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 27 | 7,557 | 4 | 2024 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 25 | 4,803 | 1 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 24 | 6,173 | 2 | 2024 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 24 | 3,791 | 0 | 2023 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 22 | 4,187 | 3 | 2024 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 22 | 377 | 0 | 2022 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 21 | 1,681 | 9 | 2024 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 21 | 5,160 | 1 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 21 | 4,920 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 21 | 519 | 0 | 2020 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 16 | 3,194 | 1 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 14 | 3,380 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 14 | 965 | 0 | 2000 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 13 | 671 | 4 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 12 | 3,904 | 0 | 2020 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 11 | 5,141 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 11 | 4,492 | 2 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 11 | 3,832 | 2 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 11 | 3,740 | 0 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 11 | 2,788 | 0 | 2022 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 10 | 874 | 2 | 2024 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 10 | 2,488 | 1 | 2024 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 9 | 760 | 3 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 9 | 1,523 | 1 | 2024 |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 9 | 321 | 1 | 2024 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 8 | 860 | 0 | 2021 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 8 | 589 | 0 | 2023 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 7 | 598 | 0 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 6 | 2,065 | 1 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 5 | 2,367 | 3 | 2024 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 5 | 1,452 | 0 | 2022 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 5 | 1,420 | 0 | 2023 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 5 | 1,187 | 0 | 2019 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 5 | 959 | 0 | 2022 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 5 | 706 | 0 | 1995 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 4 | 1,208 | 0 | 2022 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 4 | 1,009 | 0 | 2023 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 4 | 927 | 0 | 2020 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 4 | 918 | 0 | 2023 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 3 | 962 | 1 | 2024 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 3 | 809 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 3 | 715 | 0 | 2018 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 3 | 562 | 0 | 2022 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 3 | 284 | 0 | 1993 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 3 | 189 | 0 | 2005 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 3 | 140 | 0 | 2023 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 2 | 1,263 | 2 | 2024 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 2 | 374 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 2 | 2,837 | 0 | 2018 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 580 | 0 | 2022 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 2 | 501 | 0 | 2019 |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 2 | 443 | 0 | 2003 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 2 | 168 | 0 | 2021 |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 2 | 66 | 0 | 1989 |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 2 | 24 | 0 | 1996 |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 2 | 18 | 0 | 1990 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 1 | 922 | 0 | 2023 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 1 | 858 | 0 | 2019 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 605 | 0 | 1987 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 1 | 576 | 0 | 2023 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 1 | 447 | 0 | 2018 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 1 | 446 | 0 | 2017 |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 1 | 377 | 0 | 1975 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 1 | 361 | 0 | 1979 |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 1 | 217 | 0 | 1993 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 202 | 0 | 2019 |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 1 | 163 | 0 | 1994 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 1 | 126 | 0 | 2005 |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 1 | 95 | 0 | 2018 |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 1 | 63 | 0 | 2019 |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1988 |
| Incurvate Emerald | Somatochlora incurvata | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1996 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,702 | 39 | 4 | early Jun |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 608 | 14 | 4 | Jul |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 329 | 9 | 2 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 396 | 5 | 2 | Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 342 | 8 | 1 | Sep |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 390 | 5 | 1 | Sep |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 98 | 2 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 931 | 1 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 503 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 471 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 396 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 137 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 51 | 1 | 1 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 514 | 0 | 0 | Jul-Aug |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 485 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 126 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 88 | 0 | 0 | late Jul |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 53 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 6 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 5 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 5 | 0 | 0 |
Athens County is located entirely within the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau. The Hocking River runs from the NW to the SW corner of the county into the Ohio river (est 1,341.74 cu ft/s flow), where a small area of the county borders the Ohio River.
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 2 January 2025