Athens County
Known species county: 86
Total Observations county: 1,198
Population: 64,681
Area in Square Miles: 508
People per Square Mile: 127
Observations per Square Mile: 2.4
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 2023 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 114 | 10,727 | 47 | 2023 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 90 | 13,870 | 4 | 2023 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 61 | 9,898 | 5 | 2023 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 51 | 13,169 | 3 | 2023 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 47 | 13,326 | 7 | 2023 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 42 | 7,169 | 8 | 2023 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 42 | 10,352 | 3 | 2023 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 41 | 446 | 30 | 2023 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 38 | 5,692 | 3 | 2023 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 35 | 4,313 | 15 | 2023 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 32 | 1,518 | 18 | 2023 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 31 | 8,819 | 1 | 2023 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 30 | 1,037 | 2 | 2023 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 30 | 6,971 | 1 | 2023 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 27 | 3,761 | 2 | 2023 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 24 | 3,184 | 17 | 2023 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 24 | 4,097 | 6 | 2023 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 22 | 6,247 | 8 | 2023 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 22 | 5,111 | 2 | 2023 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 22 | 346 | 0 | 2022 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 21 | 440 | 0 | 2020 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 20 | 4,146 | 2 | 2023 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 20 | 4,032 | 0 | 2022 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 19 | 3,628 | 0 | 2022 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 15 | 2,752 | 0 | 2021 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 14 | 942 | 0 | 2000 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 13 | 2,839 | 2 | 2023 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 12 | 1,376 | 2 | 2023 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 12 | 3,492 | 0 | 2020 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 11 | 3,377 | 1 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 11 | 2,390 | 0 | 2022 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 9 | 3,109 | 4 | 2023 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 9 | 3,785 | 3 | 2023 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 9 | 542 | 1 | 2023 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 9 | 2,115 | 0 | 2020 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 8 | 439 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 8 | 1,241 | 0 | 2022 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 8 | 748 | 0 | 2018 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 8 | 684 | 0 | 2021 |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 8 | 305 | 0 | 2020 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 7 | 4,247 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 6 | 688 | 1 | 2023 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 6 | 536 | 0 | 2022 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 5 | 1,230 | 4 | 2023 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 5 | 1,687 | 2 | 2023 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 5 | 1,204 | 0 | 2022 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 5 | 1,031 | 0 | 2019 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 5 | 824 | 0 | 2022 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 5 | 610 | 0 | 1995 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 4 | 768 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 4 | 874 | 2 | 2023 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 4 | 1,056 | 0 | 2022 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 4 | 802 | 0 | 2020 |
| Stream Cruiser | Didymops transversa | 3 | 121 | 2 | 2023 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 3 | 743 | 0 | 2022 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 3 | 620 | 0 | 2018 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 3 | 478 | 0 | 2022 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 3 | 255 | 0 | 1993 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Cordulegaster obliqua | 3 | 172 | 0 | 2005 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 2 | 2,364 | 0 | 2018 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 2 | 1,991 | 0 | 2019 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 2 | 899 | 0 | 1993 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 479 | 0 | 2022 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 2 | 467 | 0 | 2019 |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 2 | 370 | 0 | 2003 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 2 | 141 | 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 | 740 | 1 | 2023 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 1 | 471 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 1 | 733 | 0 | 2019 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 1 | 515 | 0 | 1987 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 1 | 390 | 0 | 2017 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 1 | 358 | 0 | 1979 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 1 | 340 | 0 | 2018 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 1 | 298 | 0 | 1932 |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 1 | 287 | 0 | 1975 |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 1 | 208 | 0 | 1993 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 192 | 0 | 2019 |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 1 | 141 | 0 | 1994 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Cordulegaster erronea | 1 | 106 | 0 | 2005 |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster maculata | 1 | 90 | 0 | 2018 |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 1 | 55 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 1,048 | 27 | 5 | late May-early Jun |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 1,357 | 16 | 4 | early Jun |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 544 | 14 | 4 | Jul |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 262 | 7 | 2 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 359 | 5 | 2 | Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 262 | 8 | 1 | Sep |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 307 | 3 | 1 | Sep |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 59 | 2 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 860 | 1 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 451 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 377 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 335 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 117 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 101 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 50 | 1 | 1 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 479 | 0 | 1 | Jun |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 458 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 443 | 0 | 0 | Jul-Aug |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 272 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 106 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 73 | 0 | 0 | late Jul |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 68 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 50 | 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 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