Hocking County
Known species: 92
Total Observations: 2,163
Population: 28,665
Area in Square Miles: 421
People per Square Mile: 68
Observations per Square Mile: 3.5
Percent of State Species: 53%
Percent of State Observations: 0.7%
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 2025 | Last Sighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebony Jewelwing | Calopteryx maculata | 152 | 10,084 | 17 | 2025 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 115 | 5,911 | 28 | 2025 |
| Blue Dasher | Pachydiplax longipennis | 93 | 18,692 | 14 | 2025 |
| Common Whitetail | Plathemis lydia | 78 | 14,243 | 8 | 2025 |
| Fragile Forktail | Ischnura posita | 76 | 15,432 | 5 | 2025 |
| Gray Petaltail | Tachopteryx thoreyi | 76 | 494 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ashy Clubtail | Phanogomphus lividus | 70 | 1,150 | 2 | 2025 |
| Widow Skimmer | Libellula luctuosa | 69 | 14,355 | 23 | 2025 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer | Argia apicalis | 57 | 7,716 | 10 | 2025 |
| Swift Setwing | Dythemis velox | 54 | 592 | 32 | 2025 |
| Violet Dancer | Argia fumipennis violacea | 52 | 8,693 | 14 | 2025 |
| Tiger Spiketail | Zoraena erronea | 52 | 134 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dusky Dancer | Argia translata | 50 | 1,962 | 16 | 2025 |
| Eastern Pondhawk | Erythemis simplicicollis | 48 | 19,534 | 5 | 2025 |
| Banded Pennant | Celithemis fasciata | 46 | 977 | 24 | 2025 |
| Black-shouldered Spinyleg | Dromogomphus spinosus | 45 | 763 | 10 | 2025 |
| Uhler's Sundragon | Helocordulia uhleri | 44 | 68 | 4 | 2025 |
| Stream Bluet | Enallagma exsulans | 42 | 5,543 | 13 | 2025 |
| Eastern Forktail | Ischnura verticalis | 42 | 18,549 | 3 | 2025 |
| Common Sanddragon | Progomphus obscurus | 40 | 171 | 1 | 2025 |
| Twin-spotted Spiketail | Zoraena maculata | 38 | 99 | 0 | 2024 |
| Autumn Meadowhawk | Sympetrum vicinum | 35 | 10,593 | 6 | 2025 |
| Calico Pennant | Celithemis elisa | 30 | 3,706 | 12 | 2025 |
| American Rubyspot | Hetaerina americana | 30 | 5,250 | 0 | 2024 |
| Lancet Clubtail | Phanogomphus exilis | 29 | 2,034 | 12 | 2025 |
| Blue Corporal | Ladona deplanata | 27 | 696 | 8 | 2025 |
| Slender Spreadwing | Lestes rectangularis | 27 | 4,797 | 1 | 2025 |
| Dragonhunter | Hagenius brevistylus | 27 | 729 | 1 | 2025 |
| Eastern Amberwing | Perithemis tenera | 25 | 12,693 | 3 | 2025 |
| Springtime Darner | Basiaeschna janata | 24 | 466 | 7 | 2025 |
| Stream Cruiser | Macromia transversa | 23 | 163 | 4 | 2025 |
| Aurora Damsel | Chromagrion conditum | 22 | 706 | 5 | 2025 |
| Fawn Darner | Boyeria vinosa | 21 | 615 | 0 | 2024 |
| Swift River Cruiser | Macromia illinoiensis | 20 | 837 | 1 | 2025 |
| Spangled Skimmer | Libellula cyanea | 19 | 1,304 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Argia tibialis | 18 | 5,374 | 3 | 2025 |
| Shadow Darner | Aeshna umbrosa | 18 | 1,353 | 1 | 2025 |
| Smoky Rubyspot | Hetaerina titia | 18 | 421 | 0 | 2023 |
| Prince Baskettail | Epitheca princeps | 17 | 3,264 | 2 | 2025 |
| Common Green Darner | Anax junius | 17 | 6,289 | 1 | 2025 |
| Halloween Pennant | Celithemis eponina | 17 | 5,028 | 0 | 2024 |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer | Libellula pulchella | 17 | 4,080 | 0 | 2023 |
| Black Saddlebags | Tramea lacerata | 16 | 4,110 | 1 | 2025 |
| Painted Skimmer | Libellula semifasciata | 16 | 1,355 | 0 | 2021 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 16 | 849 | 0 | 2024 |
| Blue-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum ambiguum | 15 | 1,926 | 0 | 2020 |
| Ruby Meadowhawk | Sympetrum rubicundulum | 15 | 991 | 0 | 1997 |
| Eastern Least Clubtail | Stylogomphus albistylus | 14 | 382 | 1 | 2025 |
| Azure Bluet | Enallagma aspersum | 13 | 2,863 | 1 | 2025 |
| Clamp-tipped Emerald | Somatochlora tenebrosa | 13 | 251 | 0 | 2023 |
| Turquoise Bluet | Enallagma divagans | 12 | 1,043 | 6 | 2025 |
| Orange Bluet | Enallagma signatum | 12 | 4,380 | 3 | 2025 |
| Great Blue Skimmer | Libellula vibrans | 12 | 513 | 2 | 2025 |
| Common Baskettail | Epitheca cynosura | 11 | 1,067 | 2 | 2025 |
| Westfall's Slender Bluet | Enallagma traviatum westfalli | 11 | 2,589 | 1 | 2025 |
| Skimming Bluet | Enallagma geminatum | 10 | 4,461 | 0 | 2019 |
| Arrow Clubtail | Stylurus spiniceps | 10 | 341 | 0 | 2023 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail | Zoraena obliqua | 10 | 207 | 0 | 2022 |
| Double-striped Bluet | Enallagma basidens | 9 | 6,256 | 1 | 2025 |
| Midland Clubtail | Gomphurus fraternus | 9 | 1,012 | 0 | 2020 |
| Lilypad Forktail | Ischnura kellicotti | 9 | 961 | 0 | 2020 |
| Powdered Dancer | Argia moesta | 8 | 6,026 | 1 | 2025 |
| Familiar Bluet | Enallagma civile | 8 | 7,430 | 0 | 2022 |
| Carolina Saddlebags | Tramea carolina | 8 | 1,444 | 0 | 2024 |
| Green-striped Darner | Aeshna verticalis | 8 | 395 | 0 | 2020 |
| Citrine Forktail | Ischnura hastata | 7 | 1,238 | 2 | 2025 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer | Argia sedula | 7 | 3,416 | 0 | 2018 |
| Black-tipped Darner | Aeshna tuberculifera | 6 | 181 | 1 | 2025 |
| Wandering Glider | Pantala flavescens | 6 | 1,903 | 0 | 2019 |
| Eastern Red Damsel | Amphiagrion saucium | 6 | 1,600 | 0 | 2019 |
| Spot-winged Glider | Pantala hymenaea | 4 | 667 | 1 | 2025 |
| Unicorn Clubtail | Arigomphus villosipes | 4 | 2,314 | 0 | 2022 |
| Comet Darner | Anax longipes | 4 | 724 | 0 | 2024 |
| Dot-tailed Whiteface | Leucorrhinia intacta | 3 | 1,915 | 0 | 2018 |
| Sedge Sprite | Nehalennia irene | 3 | 414 | 0 | 2023 |
| Southern Spreadwing | Lestes australis | 3 | 329 | 0 | 1970 |
| Ocellated Darner | Boyeria grafiana | 3 | 70 | 0 | 1996 |
| Swamp Spreadwing | Lestes vigilax | 2 | 706 | 1 | 2025 |
| Band-winged Meadowhawk | Sympetrum semicinctum | 2 | 1,106 | 0 | 1995 |
| Vesper Bluet | Enallagma vesperum | 2 | 999 | 0 | 2018 |
| Amber-winged Spreadwing | Lestes eurinus | 2 | 759 | 0 | 2018 |
| Mocha Emerald | Somatochlora linearis | 2 | 263 | 0 | 1996 |
| Laura's Clubtail | Stylurus laurae | 2 | 52 | 0 | 2016 |
| Furtive Forktail | Ischnura prognata | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1930 |
| Great Spreadwing | Archilestes grandis | 1 | 1,133 | 0 | 2014 |
| Royal River Cruiser | Macromia taeniolata | 1 | 679 | 0 | 1993 |
| Elegant Spreadwing | Lestes inaequalis | 1 | 616 | 0 | 2018 |
| Sweetflag Spreadwing | Lestes forcipatus | 1 | 605 | 0 | 1937 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Phanogomphus graslinellus | 1 | 566 | 0 | 1936 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 | 443 | 0 | 2019 |
| Harlequin Darner | Gomphaeschna furcillata | 1 | 135 | 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 | 939 | 20 | 4 | late Jul |
| Spotted Spreadwing | Lestes congener | 1,069 | 19 | 2 | late Aug-late Sep |
| Cyrano Darner | Nasiaeschna pentacantha | 366 | 10 | 2 | mid Jun |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 514 | 4 | 2 | late Jun-early Jul |
| Variegated Meadowhawk | Sympetrum corruptum | 170 | 4 | 1 | Apr-Sep |
| Rainbow Bluet | Enallagma antennatum | 540 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Rapids Clubtail | Phanogomphus quadricolor | 445 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Rusty Snaketail | Ophiogomphus rupinsulensis | 428 | 2 | 1 | Jun |
| Handsome Clubtail | Gomphurus crassus | 226 | 2 | 1 | late May-early Jun |
| Emerald Spreadwing | Lestes dryas | 708 | 1 | 1 | Jun |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail | Stylurus plagiatus | 461 | 1 | 1 | Sep |
| Plains Clubtail | Gomphurus externus | 244 | 1 | 1 | mid Jun-mid Jul |
| Red Saddlebags | Tramea onusta | 199 | 1 | 1 | Jun-Jul |
| Lilypad Clubtail | Arigomphus furcifer | 153 | 1 | 1 | early Jun |
| Double-ringed Pennant | Celithemis verna | 69 | 1 | 1 | late Jun |
| Cobra Clubtail | Gomphurus vastus | 486 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| White-faced Meadowhawk | Sympetrum obtrusum | 383 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Lance-tipped Darner | Aeshna constricta | 363 | 0 | 0 | Sep |
| Brown Spiketail | Zoraena bilineata | 247 | 0 | 0 | late May-early Jun |
| Lyre-tipped Spreadwing | Lestes unguiculatus | 247 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Jul |
| River Jewelwing | Calopteryx aequabilis | 81 | 0 | 0 | early Jun |
| Stygian Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia yamaskanensis | 74 | 0 | 0 | late Jun |
| Marsh Bluet | Enallagma ebrium | 66 | 0 | 0 | mid Jun |
| Northern Spreadwing | Lestes disjunctus | 24 | 0 | 0 | Jun-Aug |
| Little Blue Dragonlet | Erythrodiplax minuscula | 19 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Smoky Shadowdragon | Neurocordulia molesta | 18 | 0 | 0 | Jun |
| Northern Pygmy Clubtail | Lanthus parvulus | 7 | 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.
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 12 January 2026