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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Guerrero (gro) |
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| Total | Registered | ||
| Mexican endemics | |||
| True Species that normally do not occur outside of Mexico. | 16 | 0 | |
| Regionals US border states plus area south of Mexico including Nicaragua. | 21 | 0 | |
| Added: Enallagma civile Hetaerina infecta Palaemnema domina |
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| 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 | |
| Wedge-striped Spreadwing (Lestes scalaris) | map | 3 | |
| Chalky Spreadwing (Lestes sigma) | map | 4 | |
| Allied Spreadwing (Lestes simplex) | map | Mexico. | 5 |
| Blue-striped Spreadwing (Lestes tenuatus) | map | 6 | |
| Shadowdamsels (Platystictidae) | |||
| Desert Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema domina) | map | 7 | |
| Demoiselles (Calopterygidae) | |||
| American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) | map | 8 | |
| Cryptic Rubyspot (Hetaerina calverti) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 9 |
| Bronze Rubyspot (Hetaerina capitalis) | map | 10 | |
| Highland Rubyspot (Hetaerina cruentata) | map | 11 | |
| Emerald Rubyspot (Hetaerina infecta) | map | Mexico. | 12 |
| Racket-tipped Rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa) | map | 13 | |
| Smoky Rubyspot (Hetaerina titia) | map | 14 | |
| Canyon Rubyspot (Hetaerina vulnerata) | map | Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 15 |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | |||
| Middle American Pearlwing (Anisagrion allopterum) | map | 16 | |
| Black-and-white Damsel (Apanisagrion lais) | map | El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 17 |
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) | map | 18 | |
| Yaqui Dancer (Argia carlcooki) | map | Mexico, USA. | 19 |
| Spine-tipped Dancer (Argia extranea) | map | Mexico, USA. | 20 |
| Green-eyed Dancer (Argia frequentula) | map | 21 | |
| Big Red Dancer (Argia funcki) | map | El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico. | 22 |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) | map | 23 | |
| Harkness’s Dancer (Argia harknessi) | map | Mexico, USA. | 24 |
| Gilded Dancer (Argia herberti) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 25 |
| Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda) | map | 26 | |
| Sierra Madre Dancer (Argia lacrimans) | map | Mexico, USA. | 27 |
| May's Dancer (Argia mayi) | map | Mexico. | 28 |
| Aztec Dancer (Argia nahuana) | map | 29 | |
| Oculate Dancer (Argia oculata) | map | 30 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) | map | 31 | |
| Amethyst Dancer (Argia pallens) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 32 |
| Purple Dancer (Argia pulla) | map | 33 | |
| Tarascan Dancer (Argia tarascana) | map | Mexico, USA. | 34 |
| Tezpi Dancer (Argia tezpi) | map | 35 | |
| Olmec Dancer (Argia ulmeca) | map | 36 | |
| Celestial Dancer (Argia variabilis) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 37 |
| Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) | map | 38 | |
| Neotropical Bluet (Enallagma novaehispaniae) | map | 39 | |
| Arroyo Bluet (Enallagma praevarum) | map | 40 | |
| Claw-tipped Bluet (Enallagma semicirculare) | map | Mexico, USA. | 41 |
| Tiny Forktail (Ischnura capreolus) | map | 42 | |
| Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) | map | 43 | |
| Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) | map | 44 | |
| Cream-tipped Swampdamsel (Leptobasis melinogaster) | map | Mexico, USA. | 45 |
| Red-tipped Swampdamsel (Leptobasis vacillans) | map | 46 | |
| Lemon-tipped Helicopter (Mecistogaster ornata) | map | 47 | |
| Caribbean Yellowface (Neoerythromma cultellatum) | map | 48 | |
| West Mexican Yellowface (Neoerythromma gladiolatum) | map | Mexico. | 49 |
| Striped Firetail (Telebasis filiola) | map | 50 | |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) | map | 51 | |
| Threadtails (Protoneuridae) | |||
| Orange-striped Threadtail (Protoneura cara) | map | 52 | |
| Ruddy Threadtail (Protoneura rojiza) | map | Mexico. | 53 |
| Flamboyant Flatwings (Heteragrionidae) | |||
| Highland Flatwing (Heteragrion tricellulare) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 54 |
| Bannerwings (Polythoridae) | |||
| Blue Cora (Cora marina) | map | 55 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | |||
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) | map | 56 | |
| Blue-spotted Comet Darner (Anax concolor) | map | 57 | |
| Giant Darner (Anax walsinghami) | map | Mexico, USA. | 58 |
| Blue-faced Darner (Coryphaeschna adnexa) | map | 59 | |
| Fiery Darner (Coryphaeschna diapyra) | map | 60 | |
| Bar-sided Darner (Gynacantha mexicana) | map | 61 | |
| Twilight Darner (Gynacantha nervosa) | map | 62 | |
| Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna armata) | map | Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 63 |
| Broad-striped Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna magna) | map | Mexico. | 64 |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) | map | 65 | |
| Black-tailed Darner (Rhionaeschna jalapensis) | map | 66 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) | map | 67 | |
| West Mexican Darner (Rhionaeschna vazquezae) | map | Mexico. | 68 |
| Ditzler's Darner (Triacanthagyna ditzleri) | map | 69 | |
| Pale-green Darner (Triacanthagyna septima) | map | 70 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | |||
| Narrow-striped Forceptail (Aphylla protracta) | map | 71 | |
| One-striped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus bothrops) | map | 72 | |
| Plain Ringtail (Erpetogomphus cophias) | map | Mexico. | 73 |
| Yellow-legged Ringtail (Erpetogomphus crotalinus) | map | Mexico, USA. | 74 |
| Straight-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus elaps) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 75 |
| Blue-faced Ringtail (Erpetogomphus eutainia) | map | 76 | |
| Angle-tipped Forceptail (Phyllocycla elongata) | map | Mexico. | 77 |
| Five-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides albrighti) | map | Mexico, USA. | 78 |
| Spine-tipped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides apiculatus) | map | Mexico. | 79 |
| Daniel’s Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides danieli) | map | Mexico. | 80 |
| Pacific Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides pacificus) | map | Mexico. | 81 |
| Common Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides suasus) | map | 82 | |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) | map | 83 | |
| Splendid Sanddragon (Progomphus zonatus) | map | Mexico. | 84 |
| Goldenrings (Cordulegastridae) | |||
| Apache Spiketail (Cordulegaster diadema) | map | 85 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | |||
| Common Blue-eye (Anatya guttata) | map | 86 | |
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) | map | 87 | |
| Tawny Pennant (Brachymesia herbida) | map | 88 | |
| Broad-winged Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga latialata) | map | Mexico. | 89 |
| Slender Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga praecox) | map | 90 | |
| Amber-banded Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga rapax) | map | 91 | |
| Mayan Setwing (Dythemis maya) | map | 92 | |
| Blue-eyed Setwing (Dythemis nigra) | map | 93 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) | map | Mexico, USA. | 94 |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) | map | 95 | |
| Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala) | map | 96 | |
| Red Pondhawk (Erythemis haematogastra) | map | 97 | |
| Claret Pondhawk (Erythemis mithroides) | map | 98 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) | map | 99 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) | map | 100 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) | map | 101 | |
| Seaside Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenice) | map | 102 | |
| Red-mantled Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fervida) | map | 103 | |
| Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea) | map | 104 | |
| Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata) | map | 105 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) | map | 106 | |
| Hercules Skimmer (Libellula herculea) | map | 107 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) | map | 108 | |
| Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) | map | 109 | |
| Jade-striped Sylph (Macrothemis inequiunguis) | map | 110 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) | map | 111 | |
| Sierra Madre Sylph (Macrothemis ultima) | map | Mexico. | 112 |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) | map | 113 | |
| Dwarf Glider (Miathyria simplex) | map | 114 | |
| Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis) | map | 115 | |
| Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) | map | 116 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) | map | 117 | |
| Square-spotted Dasher (Micrathyria ocellata) | map | 118 | |
| Upland Dasher (Micrathyria paulsoni) | map | 119 | |
| Dusky Dasher (Micrathyria schumanni) | map | 120 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) | map | 121 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) | map | 122 | |
| Slender Skimmer (Orthemis levis) | map | 123 | |
| Red-tailed Skimmer (Orthemis schmidti) | map | 124 | |
| Blue Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis cyanosoma) | map | Mexico. | 125 |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) | map | 126 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) | map | 127 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) | map | 128 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) | map | 129 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) | map | 130 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) | map | 131 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) | map | 132 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) | map | 133 | |
| Garnet Glider (Tauriphila australis) | map | 134 | |
| Evening Skimmer (Tholymis citrina) | map | 135 | |
| Vermilion Saddlebags (Tramea abdominalis) | map | 136 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) | map | 137 | |