Hocking County
Known species: 91
Total Observations: 1,485
Population: 28,665
Area in Square Miles: 421
People per Square Mile: 68
Observations per Square Mile: 3.5
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 | Hocking Total | Ohio Total | Hocking 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 91 | 7,169 | 14 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 67 | 13,169 | 14 | 2023 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 64 | 10,727 | 22 | 2023 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 64 | 390 | 3 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 63 | 9,898 | 8 | 2023 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 62 | 874 | 1 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 51 | 4,032 | 9 | 2023 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 46 | 106 | 8 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 38 | 13,870 | 4 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 37 | 13,326 | 3 | 2023 |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster maculata | 37 | 90 | 0 | 2015 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 35 | 5,692 | 1 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 33 | 10,352 | 7 | 2023 |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 33 | 55 | 3 | 2023 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 32 | 141 | 0 | 2022 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 29 | 6,971 | 7 | 2023 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 29 | 3,761 | 0 | 2021 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 26 | 3,492 | 0 | 2022 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 24 | 439 | 1 | 2023 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 23 | 542 | 7 | 2023 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 20 | 440 | 0 | 2018 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 19 | 6,247 | 2 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 18 | 8,819 | 4 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 18 | 4,097 | 2 | 2023 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 18 | 346 | 1 | 2023 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 17 | 3,377 | 1 | 2023 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 17 | 688 | 1 | 2023 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 16 | 1,037 | 2 | 2023 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 16 | 1,056 | 0 | 2021 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 15 | 3,628 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 15 | 1,204 | 0 | 2020 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 15 | 942 | 0 | 1997 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 15 | 620 | 0 | 2019 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 14 | 446 | 3 | 2023 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 14 | 121 | 2 | 2023 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 14 | 4,146 | 1 | 2023 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 14 | 1,031 | 1 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 14 | 2,839 | 0 | 2022 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 14 | 1,518 | 0 | 2022 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 14 | 471 | 0 | 2022 |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 13 | 208 | 1 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 12 | 2,390 | 2 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 12 | 2,115 | 1 | 2023 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 10 | 298 | 2 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 10 | 1,376 | 1 | 2023 |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 10 | 305 | 1 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 10 | 3,785 | 0 | 2022 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 10 | 3,109 | 0 | 2019 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 10 | 467 | 0 | 2022 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 10 | 172 | 0 | 2022 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 9 | 262 | 5 | 2023 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 9 | 1,991 | 0 | 2020 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 9 | 802 | 0 | 2020 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 9 | 733 | 0 | 2020 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 8 | 3,184 | 2 | 2023 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 8 | 2,752 | 1 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 8 | 5,111 | 0 | 2022 |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 8 | 262 | 0 | 2020 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 7 | 2,364 | 0 | 2018 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 7 | 748 | 0 | 1996 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 6 | 4,313 | 2 | 2023 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 6 | 4,247 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 6 | 1,241 | 0 | 2019 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 6 | 1,230 | 0 | 2019 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 6 | 684 | 0 | 2018 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 5 | 1,048 | 0 | 2020 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 5 | 899 | 0 | 2019 |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 4 | 141 | 2 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 4 | 1,687 | 0 | 2022 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 3 | 515 | 1 | 2023 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 3 | 478 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 3 | 359 | 1 | 2023 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 3 | 1,357 | 0 | 2018 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 3 | 255 | 0 | 1970 |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 3 | 50 | 0 | 1996 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 2 | 860 | 0 | 1995 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 2 | 768 | 0 | 2022 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 740 | 0 | 2018 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 2 | 610 | 0 | 2018 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 2 | 192 | 0 | 1996 |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 2 | 50 | 0 | 2016 |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1930 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 824 | 0 | 2014 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 1 | 544 | 0 | 2018 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 1 | 536 | 0 | 1993 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 1 | 479 | 0 | 2018 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 451 | 0 | 1936 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 1 | 443 | 0 | 1937 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 335 | 0 | 2019 |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 1 | 106 | 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 | 743 | 18 | 4 | late Jul |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 277 | 8 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 340 | 5 | 2 | Jul-Aug |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 370 | 4 | 2 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 731 | 18 | 1 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 4 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 458 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 245 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 170 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 479 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 189 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 145 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 113 | 1 | 1 | early Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 358 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 287 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Brown Spiketail | Cordulegaster bilineata | 216 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 180 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| River Jewelwing | Calopteryx aequabilis | 77 | 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.
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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 18 January 2024