Washington County

Known species: 77
Total Observations: 2,342
Population: 61,310
Area in Square Miles: 632
People per Square Mile: 96
Observations per Square Mile: 3.1
Percent of State Species: 45%
Percent of State Observations:
0.9%

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.

Washington County Ohio

Observed Species

Common NameScientific NameWashington TotalOhio TotalWashington 2024Last Sighted
Eastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollis14316,365242024
Blue-fronted DancerArgia apicalis1246,584272024
Blue DasherPachydiplax longipennis11815,601232024
Common WhitetailPlathemis lydia11612,022152024
Fragile ForktailIschnura posita11213,199172024
Stream BluetEnallagma exsulans1114,803332024
Eastern AmberwingPerithemis tenera10810,887142024
Familiar BluetEnallagma civile846,17332024
Widow SkimmerLibellula luctuosa8211,931172024
American RubyspotHetaerina americana794,44432024
Powdered DancerArgia moesta765,141252024
Black-shouldered SpinylegDromogomphus spinosus75671272024
Violet DancerArgia fumipennis violacea707,55782024
Orange BluetEnallagma signatum703,79102023
Blue-tipped DancerArgia tibialis694,492222024
Ebony JewelwingCalopteryx maculata688,60672024
Eastern ForktailIschnura verticalis6415,99292024
Swift River CruiserMacromia illinoiensis6076032024
Prince BaskettailEpitheca princeps562,78862024
Dusky DancerArgia translata541,681102024
Skimming BluetEnallagma geminatum423,832132024
Slaty SkimmerLibellula incesta394,920122024
Unicorn ClubtailArigomphus villosipes362,06562024
Double-striped BluetEnallagma basidens345,34332024
Autumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinum348,45602020
Smoky RubyspotHetaerina titia3437702021
Common Green DarnerAnax junius315,16002023
Fawn DarnerBoyeria vinosa3051902020
Black SaddlebagsTramea lacerata263,38012024
Spangled SkimmerLibellula cyanea231,197102024
DragonhunterHagenius brevistylus2058942024
Westfall's Slender BluetEnallagma traviatum westfalli192,36752024
Blue-ringed DancerArgia sedula192,83702020
Common BaskettailEpitheca cynosura1787402019
Twelve-spotted SkimmerLibellula pulchella163,74042024
Lancet ClubtailPhanogomphus exilis131,80302023
Common SanddragonProgomphus obscurus1216862024
Wandering GliderPantala flavescens121,52302020
Midland ClubtailGomphurus fraternus1292702023
Ashy ClubtailPhanogomphus lividus91,00902023
Halloween PennantCelithemis eponina84,18702023
Citrine ForktailIschnura hastata796212024
Springtime DarnerBasiaeschna janata737402023
Azure BluetEnallagma aspersum62,48822024
Shadow DarnerAeshna umbrosa61,18702019
Rapids ClubtailPhanogomphus quadricolor637702023
Arrow ClubtailStylurus spiniceps632102022
Russet-tipped ClubtailStylurus plagiatus539022024
Spot-winged GliderPantala hymenaea556212024
Carolina SaddlebagsTramea carolina51,26302023
Turquoise BluetEnallagma divagans591802023
Royal River CruiserMacromia taeniolata559802018
Stream CruiserDidymops transversa514002023
Vesper BluetEnallagma vesperum492202018
Slender SpreadwingLestes rectangularis33,90401994
Calico PennantCelithemis elisa33,19402018
Ruby MeadowhawkSympetrum rubicundulum396501994
Banded PennantCelithemis fasciata386002017
Cobra ClubtailGomphurus vastus347102018
Eastern Least ClubtailStylogomphus albistylus332901991
Smoky ShadowdragonNeurocordulia molesta31801995
Mocha EmeraldSomatochlora linearis220222024
Blue CorporalLadona deplanata260102004
Elegant SpreadwingLestes inaequalis258002017
Southern SpreadwingLestes australis228402020
Elusive ClubtailStylurus notatus213702005
Green-faced ClubtailHylogomphus viridifrons29802011
Twin-spotted SpiketailZoraena maculata29501995
Uhler's SundragonHelocordulia uhleri26302004
Great SpreadwingArchilestes grandis195901994
Band-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum semicinctum193102002
Green-striped DarnerAeshna verticalis134201994
Arrowhead SpiketailZoraena obliqua118902015
Variegated MeadowhawkSympetrum corruptum114902023
Stygian ShadowdragonNeurocordulia yamaskanensis16801996
Allegheny River CruiserMacromia alleghaniensis11602003
Umber ShadowdragonNeurocordulia obsoleta1601988


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 NameScientific NameOhio ObsLocal Obs# of CountiesPeak Active
Dot-tailed WhitefaceLeucorrhinia intacta1,702493early Jun
Eastern Red DamselAmphiagrion saucium1,420133late May-early Jun
Swamp SpreadwingLestes vigilax608103Jul
Aurora DamselChromagrion conditum57693late May-early Jun
Lilypad ForktailIschnura kellicotti858392Jun-Sep
Blue-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum ambiguum1,45252late Aug-mid Sep
Flag-tailed SpinylegDromogomphus spoliatus80942late Jul
Comet DarnerAnax longipes60532mid Jun-mid Jul
Swift SetwingDythemis velox44732Jul-Aug
Painted SkimmerLibellula semifasciata1,20821May
Great Blue SkimmerLibellula vibrans50121Jun-Jul
Swamp DarnerEpiaeschna heros71511late May-early Jun
Gray PetaltailTachopteryx thoreyi44611Jun
Sphagnum SpriteNehalennia gracilis44311late Jun-early Jul
White-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum obtrusum30511Sep
Tiger SpiketailZoraena erronea12611Jul
Amber-winged SpreadwingLestes eurinus70600Jun-Jul
Rainbow BluetEnallagma antennatum48500Jun
Lance-tipped DarnerAeshna constricta36100Sep
Clamp-tipped EmeraldSomatochlora tenebrosa21700Aug
Black-tipped DarnerAeshna tuberculifera16300late Aug-early Sep
Gilded River CruiserMacromia pacifica8800late Jul
Marsh BluetEnallagma ebrium6600mid Jun
Wabash River CruiserMacromia wabashensis2500Aug
Northern SpreadwingLestes disjunctus2400Jun-Aug
Northern Pygmy ClubtailLanthus parvulus700Jun
Incurvate EmeraldSomatochlora incurvata100Jul
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Washington County borders the Ohio River and lies in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau ecoregion. Marietta was built at the mouth of the Muskingum on the Ohio River. The Little Muskingum River flows across much of the county from east to west, paralleling the Ohio River.

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 3 January 2025