Athens County
Known species county: 87
Total Observations county: 1,580
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 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 152 | 15,432 | 15 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 134 | 19,534 | 24 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 83 | 14,243 | 16 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 78 | 18,692 | 17 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 59 | 14,355 | 14 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 57 | 18,549 | 6 | 2025 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 56 | 696 | 5 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 53 | 7,716 | 11 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 47 | 12,693 | 8 | 2025 |
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 47 | 10,084 | 3 | 2025 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 44 | 6,256 | 8 | 2025 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 39 | 10,593 | 8 | 2025 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 39 | 2,034 | 3 | 2025 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 35 | 1,304 | 4 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 32 | 8,693 | 5 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 31 | 5,028 | 9 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 31 | 5,543 | 6 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 31 | 5,250 | 3 | 2025 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 30 | 1,962 | 9 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 29 | 4,380 | 5 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 27 | 7,430 | 3 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 26 | 6,289 | 5 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 26 | 5,911 | 5 | 2025 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 22 | 421 | 0 | 2022 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 21 | 615 | 0 | 2020 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 17 | 5,374 | 6 | 2025 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 17 | 763 | 4 | 2025 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 17 | 4,110 | 3 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 16 | 3,706 | 0 | 2024 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 14 | 6,026 | 3 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 14 | 4,797 | 2 | 2025 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 14 | 991 | 0 | 2000 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 12 | 1,926 | 7 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 12 | 2,863 | 2 | 2025 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 12 | 3,264 | 1 | 2025 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 12 | 4,080 | 0 | 2023 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 11 | 1,067 | 1 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 11 | 4,461 | 0 | 2024 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 10 | 2,589 | 5 | 2025 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 9 | 977 | 1 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 9 | 1,903 | 0 | 2024 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 9 | 837 | 0 | 2024 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 9 | 729 | 0 | 2024 |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 9 | 341 | 0 | 2024 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 8 | 679 | 1 | 2025 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 6 | 1,353 | 1 | 2025 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 6 | 2,314 | 0 | 2024 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 5 | 1,600 | 0 | 2023 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 5 | 1,133 | 0 | 2022 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 5 | 759 | 0 | 1995 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 4 | 3,416 | 2 | 2025 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 4 | 1,444 | 2 | 2025 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 4 | 1,238 | 1 | 2025 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 4 | 849 | 1 | 2025 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 4 | 667 | 1 | 2025 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 4 | 1,355 | 0 | 2022 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 4 | 1,150 | 0 | 2023 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 4 | 1,043 | 0 | 2023 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 4 | 1,012 | 0 | 2020 |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spoliatus | 3 | 939 | 0 | 2022 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 3 | 466 | 0 | 2024 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 3 | 329 | 0 | 1993 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 3 | 207 | 0 | 2005 |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 3 | 163 | 0 | 2023 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 2 | 724 | 1 | 2025 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 2 | 616 | 0 | 2022 |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 2 | 514 | 0 | 2003 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 2 | 513 | 0 | 2019 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 2 | 171 | 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 | 999 | 0 | 2023 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 1 | 961 | 0 | 2019 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 1 | 706 | 0 | 2023 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 1 | 592 | 0 | 2018 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 1 | 494 | 0 | 2017 |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 1 | 445 | 0 | 1975 |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 1 | 363 | 0 | 1979 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 1 | 263 | 0 | 2019 |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 1 | 251 | 0 | 1993 |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 1 | 181 | 0 | 1994 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 1 | 134 | 0 | 2005 |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 1 | 99 | 0 | 2018 |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 1 | 68 | 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 | 1,915 | 39 | 4 | early Jun |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 706 | 16 | 4 | Jul |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 382 | 12 | 2 | Jun |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 414 | 5 | 2 | Jun |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 395 | 8 | 1 | Sep |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 461 | 5 | 1 | Sep |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Green-faced Clubtail | Hylogomphus viridifrons | 99 | 2 | 1 | mid Jun |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 1,106 | 1 | 1 | Jul-Aug |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 566 | 1 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 443 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Elusive Clubtail | Stylurus notatus | 205 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 1 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 52 | 1 | 1 | late Jul-early Sep |
| Allegheny River Cruiser | Macromia alleghaniensis | 16 | 1 | 1 | Jul |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 605 | 0 | 0 | Jul-Aug |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 540 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 135 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Gilded River Cruiser | Macromia pacifica | 92 | 0 | 0 | late Jul |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 74 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 70 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Wabash River Cruiser | Macromia wabashensis | 25 | 0 | 0 | Aug |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 19 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Umber Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia obsoleta | 6 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 4 | 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 8 January 2026