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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Morelos (mor) |
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| Total | Registered | ||
| Mexican endemics | |||
| True Species that normally do not occur outside of Mexico. | 2 | 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 | |
| Chalky Spreadwing (Lestes sigma) map | 3 | |
| Allied Spreadwing (Lestes simplex) map | 4 | |
| Blue-striped Spreadwing (Lestes tenuatus) map | 5 | |
| Shadowdamsels (Platystictidae) | ||
| Desert Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema domina) map | 6 | |
| Demoiselles (Calopterygidae) | ||
| American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) map | 7 | |
| Cryptic Rubyspot (Hetaerina calverti) map | 8 | |
| Highland Rubyspot (Hetaerina cruentata) map | 9 | |
| Canyon Rubyspot (Hetaerina vulnerata) map | 10 | |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | ||
| Black-and-white Damsel (Apanisagrion lais) map | 11 | |
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) map | 12 | |
| Yaqui Dancer (Argia carlcooki) map | 13 | |
| Spine-tipped Dancer (Argia extranea) map | 14 | |
| Green-eyed Dancer (Argia frequentula) map | 15 | |
| Big Red Dancer (Argia funcki) map | 16 | |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) map | 17 | |
| Harkness’s Dancer (Argia harknessi) map | 18 | |
| Gilded Dancer (Argia herberti) map | 19 | |
| Sierra Madre Dancer (Argia lacrimans) map | 20 | |
| May's Dancer (Argia mayi) map | 21 | |
| Powdered Dancer (Argia moesta) map | 22 | |
| Aztec Dancer (Argia nahuana) map | 23 | |
| Oculate Dancer (Argia oculata) map | 24 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) map | 25 | |
| Amethyst Dancer (Argia pallens) map | 26 | |
| Purple Dancer (Argia pulla) map | 27 | |
| Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) map | 28 | |
| Tarascan Dancer (Argia tarascana) map | 29 | |
| Tezpi Dancer (Argia tezpi) map | 30 | |
| Tonto Dancer (Argia tonto) map | 31 | |
| Olmec Dancer (Argia ulmeca) map | 32 | |
| Celestial Dancer (Argia variabilis) map | 33 | |
| Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) map | 34 | |
| Neotropical Bluet (Enallagma novaehispaniae) map | 35 | |
| Arroyo Bluet (Enallagma praevarum) map | 36 | |
| Claw-tipped Bluet (Enallagma semicirculare) map | 37 | |
| Painted Damsel (Hesperagrion heterodoxum) map | 38 | |
| Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) map | 39 | |
| Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) map | 40 | |
| Red-tipped Swampdamsel (Leptobasis vacillans) map | 41 | |
| Lemon-tipped Helicopter (Mecistogaster ornata) map | 42 | |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) map | 43 | |
| Threadtails (Protoneuridae) | ||
| Orange-striped Threadtail (Protoneura cara) map | 44 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | ||
| Mountain Stream Darner (Aeshna williamsoniana) map | 45 | |
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) map | 46 | |
| Blue-spotted Comet Darner (Anax concolor) map | 47 | |
| Common Green Darner (Anax junius) map | 48 | |
| Giant Darner (Anax walsinghami) map | 49 | |
| Blue-faced Darner (Coryphaeschna adnexa) map | 50 | |
| Helen's Darner (Gynacantha helenga) map | 51 | |
| Twilight Darner (Gynacantha nervosa) map | 52 | |
| Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna armata) map | 53 | |
| Broad-striped Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna magna) map | 54 | |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) map | 55 | |
| Black-tailed Darner (Rhionaeschna jalapensis) map | 56 | |
| Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) map | 57 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) map | 58 | |
| Pale-green Darner (Triacanthagyna septima) map | 59 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | ||
| Narrow-striped Forceptail (Aphylla protracta) map | 60 | |
| One-striped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus bothrops) map | 61 | |
| Plain Ringtail (Erpetogomphus cophias) map | 62 | |
| Yellow-legged Ringtail (Erpetogomphus crotalinus) map | 63 | |
| Straight-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus elaps) map | 64 | |
| Blue-faced Ringtail (Erpetogomphus eutainia) map | 65 | |
| Plateau Ringtail (Erpetogomphus sipedon) map | 66 | |
| Angle-tipped Forceptail (Phyllocycla elongata) map | 67 | |
| Daniel’s Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides danieli) map | 68 | |
| Luis’s Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides luisi) map | Endemic to Mexico | 69 |
| Pacific Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides pacificus) map | 70 | |
| Belyshev’s Sanddragon (Progomphus belyshevi) map | 71 | |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) map | 72 | |
| Goldenrings (Cordulegastridae) | ||
| Apache Spiketail (Cordulegaster diadema) map | 73 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | ||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) map | 74 | |
| Tawny Pennant (Brachymesia herbida) map | 75 | |
| Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax) map | 76 | |
| Masked Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga pertinax) map | 77 | |
| Slender Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga praecox) map | 78 | |
| Mayan Setwing (Dythemis maya) map | 79 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) map | 80 | |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) map | 81 | |
| Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala) map | 82 | |
| Claret Pondhawk (Erythemis mithroides) map | 83 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) map | 84 | |
| Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) map | 85 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) map | 86 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) map | 87 | |
| Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea) map | 88 | |
| Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) map | 89 | |
| Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata) map | 90 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) map | 91 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) map | 92 | |
| Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) map | 93 | |
| Jade-striped Sylph (Macrothemis inequiunguis) map | 94 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) map | 95 | |
| Sierra Madre Sylph (Macrothemis ultima) map | Endemic to Mexico | 96 |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) map | 97 | |
| Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis) map | 98 | |
| Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) map | 99 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) map | 100 | |
| Upland Dasher (Micrathyria paulsoni) map | 101 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) map | 102 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) map | 103 | |
| Red-tailed Skimmer (Orthemis schmidti) map | 104 | |
| Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) map | 105 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) map | 106 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) map | 107 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) map | 108 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) map | 109 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) map | 110 | |
| Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) map | 111 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) map | 112 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) map | 113 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) map | 114 | |
| Vermilion Saddlebags (Tramea abdominalis) map | 115 | |
| Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini) map | 116 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) map | 117 | |