Hocking County
Known species: 92
Total Observations: 1,831
Population: 28,665
Area in Square Miles: 421
People per Square Mile: 68
Observations per Square Mile: 3.5
Percent of State Species: 53%
Percent of State Observations: 0.7%
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 | Hocking Total | Ohio Total | Hocking 2024 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 133 | 8,606 | 38 | 2024 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 87 | 4,920 | 36 | 2024 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 79 | 15,601 | 12 | 2024 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 73 | 446 | 9 | 2024 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 71 | 13,199 | 7 | 2024 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 70 | 12,022 | 7 | 2024 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 68 | 1,009 | 6 | 2024 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 51 | 126 | 5 | 2024 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 47 | 6,584 | 11 | 2024 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 46 | 11,931 | 13 | 2024 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 43 | 16,365 | 5 | 2024 |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 40 | 63 | 7 | 2024 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 39 | 168 | 7 | 2024 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 39 | 15,992 | 2 | 2024 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 38 | 7,557 | 19 | 2024 |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 38 | 95 | 1 | 2024 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 35 | 671 | 12 | 2024 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 34 | 1,681 | 24 | 2024 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 30 | 4,444 | 1 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 29 | 8,456 | 0 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 28 | 4,803 | 10 | 2024 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 26 | 589 | 2 | 2024 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 26 | 3,904 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 22 | 447 | 22 | 2024 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 22 | 860 | 16 | 2024 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 22 | 10,887 | 4 | 2024 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 21 | 519 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 19 | 601 | 5 | 2024 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 19 | 140 | 5 | 2024 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 19 | 760 | 2 | 2024 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 18 | 3,194 | 10 | 2024 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 18 | 377 | 0 | 2023 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 17 | 374 | 7 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 17 | 1,803 | 3 | 2024 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 17 | 576 | 3 | 2024 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 17 | 4,187 | 1 | 2024 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 17 | 1,197 | 1 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 17 | 3,740 | 0 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 16 | 5,160 | 2 | 2024 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 16 | 1,187 | 2 | 2024 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 16 | 715 | 1 | 2024 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 16 | 1,208 | 0 | 2021 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 15 | 4,492 | 5 | 2024 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 15 | 2,788 | 3 | 2024 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 15 | 3,380 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 15 | 1,452 | 0 | 2020 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 15 | 965 | 0 | 1997 |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 13 | 217 | 0 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 12 | 2,488 | 0 | 2023 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 11 | 329 | 2 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 10 | 2,367 | 1 | 2024 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 10 | 3,832 | 0 | 2019 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 10 | 501 | 0 | 2022 |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 10 | 321 | 0 | 2023 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 10 | 189 | 0 | 2022 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 9 | 3,791 | 1 | 2024 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 9 | 874 | 1 | 2024 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 9 | 927 | 0 | 2020 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 9 | 858 | 0 | 2020 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 8 | 1,263 | 3 | 2024 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 8 | 5,343 | 2 | 2024 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 8 | 6,173 | 0 | 2022 |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 8 | 342 | 0 | 2020 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 7 | 5,141 | 1 | 2024 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 7 | 2,837 | 0 | 2018 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 6 | 918 | 4 | 2024 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 6 | 1,523 | 0 | 2019 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 6 | 1,420 | 0 | 2019 |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 5 | 163 | 1 | 2024 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 5 | 962 | 0 | 2019 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 4 | 605 | 1 | 2024 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 4 | 2,065 | 0 | 2022 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 3 | 1,702 | 0 | 2018 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 3 | 562 | 0 | 2023 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 3 | 396 | 0 | 2023 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 3 | 284 | 0 | 1970 |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 3 | 53 | 0 | 1996 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 2 | 931 | 0 | 1995 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 922 | 0 | 2018 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 2 | 706 | 0 | 2018 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 2 | 202 | 0 | 1996 |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 2 | 51 | 0 | 2016 |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1930 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 959 | 0 | 2014 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 1 | 608 | 0 | 2018 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 1 | 598 | 0 | 1993 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 1 | 580 | 0 | 2018 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 1 | 514 | 0 | 1937 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 503 | 0 | 1936 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 396 | 0 | 2019 |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 1 | 126 | 0 | 1936 |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 1 | 16 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 809 | 18 | 4 | late Jul |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 321 | 9 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 443 | 4 | 2 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 860 | 18 | 1 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 149 | 4 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 485 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 348 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 209 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 567 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 390 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 377 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 236 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 146 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 137 | 1 | 1 | early Jun |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 64 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 471 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 361 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 305 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 240 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 210 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| River Jewelwing | Calopteryx aequabilis | 81 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 5 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Taper-tailed Darner | Gomphaeschna antilope | 3 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Incurvate Emerald | Somatochlora incurvata | 1 | 0 | 0 | Jul |
The terminal moraine parallels the western boundary of Hocking County, leaving most of it within the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau. Draining about half the county, the Hocking River is the most significant waterway.
Places to visit
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