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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Durango (dur) |
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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) | ||
| Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis) map | 1 | |
| Plateau Spreadwing (Lestes alacer) map | 2 | |
| Shadowdamsels (Platystictidae) | ||
| Desert Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema domina) map | 3 | |
| Demoiselles (Calopterygidae) | ||
| American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) map | 4 | |
| Cryptic Rubyspot (Hetaerina calverti) map | 5 | |
| Canyon Rubyspot (Hetaerina vulnerata) map | 6 | |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | ||
| Black-and-white Damsel (Apanisagrion lais) map | 7 | |
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) map | 8 | |
| Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis) map | 9 | |
| Big Red Dancer (Argia funcki) map | 10 | |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) map | 11 | |
| Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda) map | 12 | |
| Sierra Madre Dancer (Argia lacrimans) map | 13 | |
| Sooty Dancer (Argia lugens) map | 14 | |
| Powdered Dancer (Argia moesta) map | 15 | |
| Apache Dancer (Argia munda) map | 16 | |
| Aztec Dancer (Argia nahuana) map | 17 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) map | 18 | |
| Amethyst Dancer (Argia pallens) map | 19 | |
| Marsh Dancer (Argia paludicola) map | 20 | |
| Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) map | 21 | |
| Tarascan Dancer (Argia tarascana) map | 22 | |
| Tezpi Dancer (Argia tezpi) map | 23 | |
| Tonto Dancer (Argia tonto) map | 24 | |
| Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) map | 25 | |
| Double-striped Bluet (Enallagma basidens) map | 26 | |
| Boreal Bluet (Enallagma boreale) map | 27 | |
| Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) map | 28 | |
| Arroyo Bluet (Enallagma praevarum) map | 29 | |
| Painted Damsel (Hesperagrion heterodoxum) map | 30 | |
| Mexican Forktail (Ischnura demorsa) map | 31 | |
| Black-fronted Forktail (Ischnura denticollis) map | 32 | |
| Lemon-tipped Helicopter (Mecistogaster ornata) map | 33 | |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) map | 34 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | ||
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) map | 35 | |
| Common Green Darner (Anax junius) map | 36 | |
| Giant Darner (Anax walsinghami) map | 37 | |
| Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna armata) map | 38 | |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) map | 39 | |
| Arroyo Darner (Rhionaeschna dugesi) map | 40 | |
| Black-tailed Darner (Rhionaeschna jalapensis) map | 41 | |
| Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) map | 42 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) map | 43 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | ||
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg (Dromogomphus spoliatus) map | 44 | |
| Yellow-legged Ringtail (Erpetogomphus crotalinus) map | 45 | |
| Eastern Ringtail (Erpetogomphus designatus) map | 46 | |
| Serpent Ringtail (Erpetogomphus lampropeltis) map | 47 | |
| Plateau Ringtail (Erpetogomphus sipedon) map | 48 | |
| Gray Sanddragon (Progomphus borealis) map | 49 | |
| Plateau Clubtail (Stylurus falcatus) map | Endemic to Mexico | 50 |
| Goldenrings (Cordulegastridae) | ||
| Apache Spiketail (Cordulegaster diadema) map | 51 | |
| Cruisers (Macromiidae) | ||
| Western River Cruiser (Macromia magnifica) map | 52 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | ||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) map | 53 | |
| Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax) map | 54 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) map | 55 | |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) map | 56 | |
| Swift Setwing (Dythemis velox) map | 57 | |
| Western Pondhawk (Erythemis collocata) map | 58 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) map | 59 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) map | 60 | |
| Red-mantled Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fervida) map | 61 | |
| Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea) map | 62 | |
| Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata) map | 63 | |
| Metallic Pennant (Idiataphe cubensis) map | 64 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) map | 65 | |
| Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) map | 66 | |
| Hoary Skimmer (Libellula nodisticta) map | 67 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) map | 68 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) map | 69 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) map | 70 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) map | 71 | |
| Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) map | 72 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) map | 73 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) map | 74 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) map | 75 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) map | 76 | |
| Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) map | 77 | |
| Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) map | 78 | |
| Desert Whitetail (Plathemis subornata) map | 79 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) map | 80 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) map | 81 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) map | 82 | |
| Spot-winged Meadowhawk (Sympetrum signiferum) map | 83 | |
| Evening Skimmer (Tholymis citrina) map | 84 | |
| Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini) map | 85 | |
| Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) map | 86 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) map | 87 | |