Coshocton County

Known species county: 92
Total Observations county: 5,558
Population: 36,760
Area in Square Miles: 564
People per Square Mile: 65
Observations per Square Mile: 9.8

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.

Coshocton County Ohio

Observed Species

Common NameScientific NameCoshocton TotalOhio TotalCoshocton 2023Last Sighted
Fragile ForktailIschnura posita58510,7271052023
Eastern PondhawkErythemis simplicicollis47913,870962023
Blue DasherPachydiplax longipennis45813,169722023
Autumn MeadowhawkSympetrum vicinum4046,971652023
Common WhitetailPlathemis lydia3969,898772023
Ebony JewelwingCalopteryx maculata3337,169942023
Slaty SkimmerLibellula incesta2704,032532023
Eastern AmberwingPerithemis tenera2688,819592023
Widow SkimmerLibellula luctuosa25410,352652023
Slender SpreadwingLestes rectangularis1403,492192023
American RubyspotHetaerina americana1343,761502023
Violet DancerArgia fumipennis violacea1346,247382023
Common Green DarnerAnax junius1334,146312023
Smoky RubyspotHetaerina titia127346382023
Eastern ForktailIschnura verticalis11913,326272023
Twelve-spotted SkimmerLibellula pulchella1183,377262023
Stream BluetEnallagma exsulans1034,097292023
Lancet ClubtailPhanogomphus exilis981,518192023
Orange BluetEnallagma signatum753,184182023
Fawn DarnerBoyeria vinosa68440132023
Blue-fronted DancerArgia apicalis655,692192023
Ashy ClubtailPhanogomphus lividus58874242023
Blue-tipped DancerArgia tibialis433,78552023
Skimming BluetEnallagma geminatum433,10952023
Black SaddlebagsTramea lacerata362,83932023
Common BaskettailEpitheca cynosura3174892023
Shadow DarnerAeshna umbrosa311,03152023
Double-striped BluetEnallagma basidens294,31362023
Familiar BluetEnallagma civile285,11142023
Prince BaskettailEpitheca princeps242,39082023
Gray PetaltailTachopteryx thoreyi2339032023
Powdered DancerArgia moesta224,24752023
Halloween PennantCelithemis eponina223,62842023
Azure BluetEnallagma aspersum222,11532023
DragonhunterHagenius brevistylus1943912023
Laura's ClubtailStylurus laurae195012023
Midland ClubtailGomphurus fraternus1780232023
Unicorn ClubtailArigomphus villosipes171,68712023
Great Blue SkimmerLibellula vibrans1546722023
Calico PennantCelithemis elisa132,75252023
Spangled SkimmerLibellula cyanea131,03732023
Citrine ForktailIschnura hastata1389902022
Aurora DamselChromagrion conditum1247142023
Painted SkimmerLibellula semifasciata121,05622023
Ruby MeadowhawkSympetrum rubicundulum1194202021
Westfall's Slender BluetEnallagma traviatum westfalli101,99142023
Eastern Red DamselAmphiagrion saucium101,23032023
Elegant SpreadwingLestes inaequalis947902021
Swamp SpreadwingLestes vigilax854432023
Spatterdock DarnerRhionaeschna mutata833532023
Springtime DarnerBasiaeschna janata729842023
Comet DarnerAnax longipes751532023
Wandering GliderPantala flavescens71,24112023
Blue-ringed DancerArgia sedula72,36402021
Swamp DarnerEpiaeschna heros762002022
Clamp-tipped EmeraldSomatochlora tenebrosa720802021
Great SpreadwingArchilestes grandis682412023
Dusky DancerArgia translata61,37602022
Cobra ClubtailGomphurus vastus637702018
Lance-tipped DarnerAeshna constricta635802022
Vesper BluetEnallagma vesperum574022023
Arrow ClubtailStylurus spiniceps530512023
Black-shouldered SpinylegDromogomphus spinosus454201936
Red SaddlebagsTramea onusta314502022
Green-faced ClubtailHylogomphus viridifrons35901929
Carolina SaddlebagsTramea carolina21,04802022
Royal River CruiserMacromia taeniolata253602022
Green-striped DarnerAeshna verticalis226202022
Southern SpreadwingLestes australis225502021
Dot-tailed WhitefaceLeucorrhinia intacta11,35712023
Cyrano DarnerNasiaeschna pentacantha127712023
Blue-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum ambiguum11,20401993
Band-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum semicinctum186002020
Spotted SpreadwingLestes congener173102022
Swift River CruiserMacromia illinoiensis168801996
Amber-winged SpreadwingLestes eurinus161002012
Emerald SpreadwingLestes dryas147901929
Spot-winged GliderPantala hymenaea147801983
Pronghorn ClubtailPhanogomphus graslinellus145102019
Sweetflag SpreadwingLestes forcipatus144302021
Sedge SpriteNehalennia irene135902020
Rapids ClubtailPhanogomphus quadricolor128701936
Eastern Least ClubtailStylogomphus albistylus126202020
Rusty SnaketailOphiogomphus rupinsulensis124501988
Black-tipped DarnerAeshna tuberculifera114102010
Tiger SpiketailCordulegaster erronea110602005
Elusive ClubtailStylurus notatus110101988
Skillet ClubtailGomphurus ventricosus12601936
Smoky ShadowdragonNeurocordulia molesta11801987
Cherry-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum internum11402020
Northern Pygmy ClubtailLanthus parvulus1701993
Furtive ForktailIschnura prognata1502019


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
Twin-spotted SpiketailCordulegaster maculata9043late May-mid Jun
Blue CorporalLadona deplanata44692May
Stream CruiserDidymops transversa12192May
Banded PennantCelithemis fasciata68472Jul
Swift SetwingDythemis velox34032Jul-Aug
Arrowhead SpiketailCordulegaster obliqua17222late May-early Jun
Plains ClubtailGomphurus externus18971mid Jun-mid Jul
Lilypad ForktailIschnura kellicotti73351Jun-Sep
Flag-tailed SpinylegDromogomphus spoliatus74311late Jul
Rainbow BluetEnallagma antennatum45811Jun
Mocha EmeraldSomatochlora linearis19211late Jun-late Aug
Gilded River CruiserMacromia pacifica7311late Jul
Turquoise BluetEnallagma divagans76800May-Jun
Tule BluetEnallagma carunculatum49800Jun-Jul
Sphagnum SpriteNehalennia gracilis37000late Jun-early Jul
Four-spotted SkimmerLibellula quadrimaculata28500Jun
White-faced MeadowhawkSympetrum obtrusum27200Sep
Brown SpiketailCordulegaster bilineata21600late May-early Jun
Dusky ClubtailPhanogomphus spicatus19100early Jun
Lyre-tipped SpreadwingLestes unguiculatus18000Jun-Jul
Delta-spotted SpiketailCordulegaster diastatops13100early Jun
Variegated MeadowhawkSympetrum corruptum11700Apr-Sep
Lilypad ClubtailArigomphus furcifer11300early Jun
Stygian ShadowdragonNeurocordulia yamaskanensis6800late Jun
Marsh BluetEnallagma ebrium6600mid Jun
Saffron-winged MeadowhawkSympetrum costiferum2000Oct

Located in the Unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, Coshocton County’s population density is relatively low, and just over half of the county’s 567 square miles are wooded. The county seat, Coshocton, is located at the confluence of the Walhonding and Tuscarawas Rivers, which form the Muskingum. The Walhonding, Killbuck Creek, and Tuscarawas valleys are characterized by deposits of glacial outwash of silt, sand, and gravel. Much of the land south of the Walhonding and Tuscarawas was strip mined, and has now been reclaimed. 8.4% of land in the county is state owned, and while it is not always easily accessible, it is open to the public. Almost all the public land is located in the southern half of the county. (see Muskingum River Watershed)

Places to Visit

  • The Kokosing/Mohican Confluence Access (Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District) provides access to the Mohican, Kokosing, and Walhonding Rivers. The latter 2 have gravel bottoms and are wadable. As of 2023, this is the only location where Smoky Rubyspots have been observed in either the Muskingum or Kokosing Rivers. Parking is located on the southern side of SR 715, just west of the Mohican River bridge, which is just west of the village of Walhonding.

  • Mohican River Wildlife Area straddles the Knox Coshocton line, and is accessible from an unmarked parking pulloff on Coshocton CR 386. This unimproved site provides extended access to the east bank of the Mohican, but has apparently not yet been explored by the oda community.

  • Mohican State Scenic River Designation Study. This is a 55 page ODNR analysis of the Clear Fork/Mohican River created in 2006 leading up to its inclusion into Ohio’s Scenic Rivers System.  It provides an overview of the human and natural histories of the Mohican River and its tributary creeks, and includes detailed maps. Mohican River Water Trail Guide from ODNR.

  • Opened in the spring of 2023, Skip’s Landing is a 3.5 acre Coshocton city park on County Road 1A, just south of the intersection of SR 36 and SR 83. It provides access to both the Walhonding and Tuscarawas rivers.

  • Coshocton Lake Park, located just north of the city, provides access to the Walhonding River, and over 20 acres of open water in the form of 3 ‘basins’ originally built for the Ohio and Erie Canal. 25 oda species have been observed.

  • Over 150 bodies of water can be found in the 19,252-acre Woodbury Wildlife Area located 4 miles west of the city of Coshocton. 38 species have been observed. No restrooms or water. Most of the property lacks cell phone coverage.

  • 34 odonate species have been observed in the publicly accessible US Army Corp of Engineers property around Wills Creek Dam.

  • The long and skinny 900 acre Wills Creek Lake partially straddles the line between Coshocton and Muskingum counties. The Muskingum Watershed Conservation District has 2,830 acres of publicly accessible land surrounding Wills Creek Lake.

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 9 March 2024