Mexican species
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Work in progress (Jan 2026):
It was my plan to use last winter to work on the European species accounts, but then I decided to prepare all my butterfly photos from Mexico, and then found photos of three different dragonflies. Glad and surprised that I had taken them, but also instantly regretting that I didn't pick up this interest while still living in the country. I don't know if I'll ever return to Mexico, but hoping that I will, I felt inspired and worked my way through the available species lists and can now present them online - here and as pdf's for download. The main resources I've used to start out with, are the one maintained by Dennis Paulson at Puget Sound Museum of Natural History and the Mexican version of the iNaturalist site, where most Mexicans put their records. However, both resources are, in places, somewhat confusing concerning which species should be in which state lists, but it is an overall good starting point. Kathy Biggs is maintaining a site about the dragonflies of Jalisco from where you can also find species maps just like the ones I'm presenting here at my site. My material is overall more readable, though, but she has added brief species description to her species account why she has information that I've still not added here (but will in the future). I think the knowledge about the Mexican dragonflies is still much in the growing and the state lists will likely be expanding in the following years, as the interest for this fantastic group of insects grows. Still, I think it is already obvious that the diversity matches that of the birds, with the most species-rich regions being around the Tehuantepec isthmus (Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz) and next West Central Mexico centered around Jalisco. Map showing the species I've seen here. State lists updated per June 2026. |
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| Species per state | |||
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0-30
31-60
61-90
91-120
121-150
151-180
181-210
211-240
241-270
271-300
301-330
330 <
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| Show explanation | |||
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Baja California Sur (bcs) |
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| Total | Registered | ||
| Mexican endemics | |||
| True Species that normally do not occur outside of Mexico. | 1 | 0 | |
| Regionals US border states plus area south of Mexico including Nicaragua. | 0 | 0 | |
| Only show endemic species Show registered species Show species with PSV | Endemics | |
| Spreadwings (Lestidae) | ||
| California Spreadwing (Archilestes californicus) map | 1 | |
| Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis) map | 2 | |
| Demoiselles (Calopterygidae) | ||
| American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) map | 3 | |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | ||
| California Dancer (Argia agrioides) map | 4 | |
| Lavender Dancer (Argia hinei) map | 5 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) map | 6 | |
| Tezpi Dancer (Argia tezpi) map | 7 | |
| Vivid Dancer (Argia vivida) map | 8 | |
| Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) map | 9 | |
| Baja Bluet (Enallagma eiseni) map | 10 | |
| Neotropical Bluet (Enallagma novaehispaniae) map | 11 | |
| Desert Forktail (Ischnura barberi) map | 12 | |
| Pacific Forktail (Ischnura cervula) map | 13 | |
| Black-fronted Forktail (Ischnura denticollis) map | 14 | |
| Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) map | 15 | |
| Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) map | 16 | |
| Oasis Firetail (Telebasis incolumis) map | Endemic to Mexico | 17 |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) map | 18 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | ||
| Common Green Darner (Anax junius) map | 19 | |
| Giant Darner (Anax walsinghami) map | 20 | |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) map | 21 | |
| Arroyo Darner (Rhionaeschna dugesi) map | 22 | |
| Spot-fronted Darner (Rhionaeschna manni) map | 23 | |
| Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) map | 24 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) map | 25 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | ||
| White-belted Ringtail (Erpetogomphus compositus) map | 26 | |
| Serpent Ringtail (Erpetogomphus lampropeltis) map | 27 | |
| Grappletail (Octogomphus specularis) map | 28 | |
| Gray Sanddragon (Progomphus borealis) map | 29 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | ||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) map | 30 | |
| Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax) map | 31 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) map | 32 | |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) map | 33 | |
| Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala) map | 34 | |
| Western Pondhawk (Erythemis collocata) map | 35 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) map | 36 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) map | 37 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) map | 38 | |
| Seaside Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenice) map | 39 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) map | 40 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) map | 41 | |
| Marl Pennant (Macrodiplax balteata) map | 42 | |
| Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) map | 43 | |
| Jade-striped Sylph (Macrothemis inequiunguis) map | 44 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) map | 45 | |
| Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis) map | 46 | |
| Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) map | 47 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) map | 48 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) map | 49 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) map | 50 | |
| Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) map | 51 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) map | 52 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) map | 53 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) map | 54 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) map | 55 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) map | 56 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) map | 57 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) map | 58 | |
| Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini) map | 59 | |
| Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) map | 60 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) map | 61 | |