Mexican species
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As in most parts of the tropics the odonate distribution in Mexico is still not fully uncovered. Both the lack of field work and the complexity of similarity between species, eg. genus Argia, make it a slow progress. But the interest and awareness is growing, why a flow of new discoveries are expected during the coming years.
The main resource I've used to build my lists from, is the one maintained by Dennis Paulson at Puget Sound Museum of Natural History. Being a capacity on the New World Odonates his lists are curated and the best starting point. New information and discoveries are best searched using iNaturalist, this being where most Mexicans put their records (and odonate-lovers worldwide, when not using local databases). Additional information, of course, is also found in other relevante online resources. I'm running frequent scans of the most common resources trying to keep up with the present state of knowledge. I think enough is known already to get the larger picture of the species distribution in the country, though. And probably not surprising the maps shows a similar pattern as the one representing the distribution of bird species,with the most species-rich regions being around the Tehuantepec isthmus (Chiapas, Oaxaca and Veracruz) and next West Central Mexico centered around Jalisco. Linked to below, I've also made a table list to show the data in a more compressed form. And you have the option to list it sorted by geography too, showing the states in a northern to southern order. This gives you a better understanding about the distribution of genera and families in the country. The species accounts related to Mexico are still far from being made, and the same goes for the endemic status. Map showing the species I've seen here. State lists updated per October, 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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Colima (col) 112 Species (1 Registered) |
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| Total | Registered | ||
| Mexican endemics | |||
| True Species that normally do not occur outside of Mexico. | 8 | 0 | |
| Regionals US border states plus area south of Mexico including Nicaragua. | 11 | 0 | |
| Added: Argia ulmeca Enallagma civile Hetaerina cruentata Libellula saturata |
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| Only show endemic species Show registered species Show species with PSV | Endemics | ||
| Spreadwings (Lestidae) | |||
| Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis) | map | 1 | |
| Wedge-striped Spreadwing (Lestes scalaris) | map | 2 | |
| Shadowdamsels (Platystictidae) | |||
| Desert Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema domina) | map | 3 | |
| Demoiselles (Calopterygidae) | |||
| American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) | map | 4 | |
| Cryptic Rubyspot (Hetaerina calverti) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 5 |
| Bronze Rubyspot (Hetaerina capitalis) | map | 6 | |
| Highland Rubyspot (Hetaerina cruentata) | map | 7 | |
| Racket-tipped Rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa) | map | 8 | |
| Smoky Rubyspot (Hetaerina titia) | map | 9 | |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | |||
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) | map | 10 | |
| Yaqui Dancer (Argia carlcooki) | map | Mexico, USA. | 11 |
| Spine-tipped Dancer (Argia extranea) | map | Mexico, USA. | 12 |
| Big Red Dancer (Argia funcki) | map | El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico. | 13 |
| Harkness’s Dancer (Argia harknessi) | map | Mexico, USA. | 14 |
| Gilded Dancer (Argia herberti) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 15 |
| May's Dancer (Argia mayi) | map | Mexico. | 16 |
| Oculate Dancer (Argia oculata) | map | 17 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) | map | 18 | |
| Amethyst Dancer (Argia pallens) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 19 |
| Purple Dancer (Argia pulla) | map | 20 | |
| Tezpi Dancer (Argia tezpi) | map | 21 | |
| Olmec Dancer (Argia ulmeca) | map | 22 | |
| Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) | map | 23 | |
| Neotropical Bluet (Enallagma novaehispaniae) | map | 24 | |
| Claw-tipped Bluet (Enallagma semicirculare) | map | Mexico, USA. | 25 |
| Tiny Forktail (Ischnura capreolus) | map | 26 | |
| Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) | map | 27 | |
| Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) | map | 28 | |
| Red-tipped Swampdamsel (Leptobasis vacillans) | map | 29 | |
| Lemon-tipped Helicopter (Mecistogaster ornata) | map | 30 | |
| Caribbean Yellowface (Neoerythromma cultellatum) | map | 31 | |
| West Mexican Yellowface (Neoerythromma gladiolatum) | map | Mexico. | 32 |
| Striped Firetail (Telebasis filiola) | map | 33 | |
| Hyacinth Firetail (Telebasis levis) | map | 34 | |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) | map | 35 | |
| Threadtails (Protoneuridae) | |||
| Amelia’s Threadtail (Neoneura amelia) | map | 36 | |
| Orange-striped Threadtail (Protoneura cara) | map | 37 | |
| Ruddy Threadtail (Protoneura rojiza) | map | Mexico. | 38 |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | |||
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) | map | 39 | |
| Blue-spotted Comet Darner (Anax concolor) | map | 40 | |
| Blue-faced Darner (Coryphaeschna adnexa) | map | 41 | |
| Icarus Darner (Coryphaeschna apeora) | map | 42 | |
| Fiery Darner (Coryphaeschna diapyra) | map | 43 | |
| Mangrove Darner (Coryphaeschna viriditas) | map | 44 | |
| Helen's Darner (Gynacantha helenga) | map | Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 45 |
| Twilight Darner (Gynacantha nervosa) | map | 46 | |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) | map | 47 | |
| Secretive Darner (Remartinia secreta) | map | 48 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) | map | 49 | |
| Pale-green Darner (Triacanthagyna septima) | map | 50 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | |||
| Narrow-striped Forceptail (Aphylla protracta) | map | 51 | |
| One-striped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus bothrops) | map | 52 | |
| Straight-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus elaps) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 53 |
| Angle-tipped Forceptail (Phyllocycla elongata) | map | Mexico. | 54 |
| Daniel’s Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides danieli) | map | Mexico. | 55 |
| Luis’s Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides luisi) | map | Mexico. | 56 |
| Pacific Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides pacificus) | map | Mexico. | 57 |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) | map | 58 | |
| Mexican Sanddragon (Progomphus mexicanus) | map | 59 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | |||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) | map | 60 | |
| Tawny Pennant (Brachymesia herbida) | map | 61 | |
| Slender Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga praecox) | map | 62 | |
| Gray-waisted Skimmer (Cannaphila insularis) | map | 63 | |
| Mayan Setwing (Dythemis maya) | map | 64 | |
| Blue-eyed Setwing (Dythemis nigra) | map | 65 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) | map | Mexico, USA. | 66 |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) | map | 67 | |
| Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala) | map | 68 | |
| Red Pondhawk (Erythemis haematogastra) | map | 69 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) | map | 70 | |
| Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) | map | 71 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) | map | 72 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) | map | 73 | |
| Red-mantled Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fervida) | map | 74 | |
| Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea) | map | 75 | |
| Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) | map | 76 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) | map | 77 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) | map | 78 | |
| Delta-spotted Sylph (Macrothemis hemichlora) | map | 79 | |
| Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) | map | 80 | |
| Jade-striped Sylph (Macrothemis inequiunguis) | map | 81 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) | map | 82 | |
| Sierra Madre Sylph (Macrothemis ultima) | map | Mexico. | 83 |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) | map | 84 | |
| Dwarf Glider (Miathyria simplex) | map | 85 | |
| Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis) | map | 86 | |
| Petén Dasher (Micrathyria debilis) | map | 87 | |
| Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) | map | 88 | |
| Caribbean Dasher (Micrathyria dissocians) | map | 89 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) | map | 90 | |
| Square-spotted Dasher (Micrathyria ocellata) | map | 91 | |
| Upland Dasher (Micrathyria paulsoni) | map | 92 | |
| Dusky Dasher (Micrathyria schumanni) | map | 93 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) | map | 94 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) | map | 95 | |
| Slender Skimmer (Orthemis levis) | map | 96 | |
| Red-tailed Skimmer (Orthemis schmidti) | map | 97 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) | map | 98 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) | map | 99 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) | map | 100 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) | map | 101 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) | map | 102 | |
| Mexican Scarlet-tail (Planiplax sanguiniventris) | map | 103 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) | map | 104 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) | map | 105 | |
| Arch-tipped Glider (Tauriphila argo) | map | 106 | |
| Garnet Glider (Tauriphila australis) | map | 107 | |
| Aztec Glider (Tauriphila azteca) | map | 108 | |
| Evening Skimmer (Tholymis citrina) | map | 109 | |
| Vermilion Saddlebags (Tramea abdominalis) | map | 110 | |
| Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini) | map | 111 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) | map | 112 | |