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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Morelos (mor) |
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| Total | Registered | ||
| Mexican endemics | |||
| True Species that normally do not occur outside of Mexico. | 11 | 0 | |
| Regionals US border states plus area south of Mexico including Nicaragua. | 22 | 0 | |
| Added: Argia pocomana Argia rhoadsi Argia translata Coryphaeschna diapyra Erythrodiplax abjecta Hetaerina capitalis Ischnura denticollis Micrathyria ocellata Phyllogomphoides pugnifer |
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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 | |
| Chalky Spreadwing (Lestes sigma) | map | 3 | |
| Allied Spreadwing (Lestes simplex) | map | Mexico. | 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 | Guatemala, Mexico. | 8 |
| Bronze Rubyspot (Hetaerina capitalis) | map | 9 | |
| Highland Rubyspot (Hetaerina cruentata) | map | 10 | |
| Canyon Rubyspot (Hetaerina vulnerata) | map | Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 11 |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | |||
| Black-and-white Damsel (Apanisagrion lais) | map | El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 12 |
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) | map | 13 | |
| Yaqui Dancer (Argia carlcooki) | map | Mexico, USA. | 14 |
| Spine-tipped Dancer (Argia extranea) | map | Mexico, USA. | 15 |
| Green-eyed Dancer (Argia frequentula) | map | 16 | |
| Big Red Dancer (Argia funcki) | map | El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico. | 17 |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) | map | 18 | |
| Harkness’s Dancer (Argia harknessi) | map | Mexico, USA. | 19 |
| Gilded Dancer (Argia herberti) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 20 |
| Sierra Madre Dancer (Argia lacrimans) | map | Mexico, USA. | 21 |
| May's Dancer (Argia mayi) | map | Mexico. | 22 |
| Powdered Dancer (Argia moesta) | map | 23 | |
| Aztec Dancer (Argia nahuana) | map | 24 | |
| Oculate Dancer (Argia oculata) | map | 25 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) | map | 26 | |
| Amethyst Dancer (Argia pallens) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 27 |
| Pocomana Dancer (Argia pocomana) | map | 28 | |
| Purple Dancer (Argia pulla) | map | 29 | |
| Golden-winged Dancer (Argia rhoadsi) | map | Mexico, USA. | 30 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) | map | 31 | |
| Tarascan Dancer (Argia tarascana) | map | Mexico, USA. | 32 |
| Tezpi Dancer (Argia tezpi) | map | 33 | |
| Tonto Dancer (Argia tonto) | map | Mexico, USA. | 34 |
| Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) | 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 |
| Painted Damsel (Hesperagrion heterodoxum) | map | Mexico, USA. | 42 |
| Black-fronted Forktail (Ischnura denticollis) | map | 43 | |
| Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) | map | 44 | |
| Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) | map | 45 | |
| Red-tipped Swampdamsel (Leptobasis vacillans) | map | 46 | |
| Lemon-tipped Helicopter (Mecistogaster ornata) | map | 47 | |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) | map | 48 | |
| Threadtails (Protoneuridae) | |||
| Orange-striped Threadtail (Protoneura cara) | map | 49 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | |||
| Mountain Stream Darner (Aeshna williamsoniana) | map | 50 | |
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) | map | 51 | |
| Blue-spotted Comet Darner (Anax concolor) | map | 52 | |
| Common Green Darner (Anax junius) | map | 53 | |
| Giant Darner (Anax walsinghami) | map | Mexico, USA. | 54 |
| Blue-faced Darner (Coryphaeschna adnexa) | map | 55 | |
| Fiery Darner (Coryphaeschna diapyra) | map | 56 | |
| Helen's Darner (Gynacantha helenga) | map | Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 57 |
| Twilight Darner (Gynacantha nervosa) | map | 58 | |
| Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna armata) | map | Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 59 |
| Broad-striped Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna magna) | map | Mexico. | 60 |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) | map | 61 | |
| Black-tailed Darner (Rhionaeschna jalapensis) | map | 62 | |
| Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) | map | 63 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) | map | 64 | |
| Pale-green Darner (Triacanthagyna septima) | map | 65 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | |||
| Narrow-striped Forceptail (Aphylla protracta) | map | 66 | |
| One-striped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus bothrops) | map | 67 | |
| Plain Ringtail (Erpetogomphus cophias) | map | Mexico. | 68 |
| Yellow-legged Ringtail (Erpetogomphus crotalinus) | map | Mexico, USA. | 69 |
| Straight-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus elaps) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 70 |
| Blue-faced Ringtail (Erpetogomphus eutainia) | map | 71 | |
| Plateau Ringtail (Erpetogomphus sipedon) | map | Mexico. | 72 |
| Angle-tipped Forceptail (Phyllocycla elongata) | map | Mexico. | 73 |
| Daniel’s Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides danieli) | map | Mexico. | 74 |
| Luis’s Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides luisi) | map | Mexico. | 75 |
| Pacific Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides pacificus) | map | Mexico. | 76 |
| Tuxtla Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides pugnifer) | map | 77 | |
| Belyshev’s Sanddragon (Progomphus belyshevi) | map | Mexico. | 78 |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) | map | 79 | |
| Goldenrings (Cordulegastridae) | |||
| Apache Spiketail (Cordulegaster diadema) | map | 80 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | |||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) | map | 81 | |
| Tawny Pennant (Brachymesia herbida) | map | 82 | |
| Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax) | map | 83 | |
| Masked Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga pertinax) | map | 84 | |
| Slender Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga praecox) | map | 85 | |
| Mayan Setwing (Dythemis maya) | map | 86 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) | map | Mexico, USA. | 87 |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) | map | 88 | |
| Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala) | map | 89 | |
| Claret Pondhawk (Erythemis mithroides) | map | 90 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) | map | 91 | |
| Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) | map | 92 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) | map | 93 | |
| Montane Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax abjecta) | map | 94 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) | map | 95 | |
| Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea) | map | 96 | |
| Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) | map | 97 | |
| Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata) | map | 98 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) | map | 99 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) | map | 100 | |
| Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) | map | 101 | |
| Jade-striped Sylph (Macrothemis inequiunguis) | map | 102 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) | map | 103 | |
| Sierra Madre Sylph (Macrothemis ultima) | map | Mexico. | 104 |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) | map | 105 | |
| Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis) | map | 106 | |
| Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) | map | 107 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) | map | 108 | |
| Square-spotted Dasher (Micrathyria ocellata) | map | 109 | |
| Upland Dasher (Micrathyria paulsoni) | map | 110 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) | map | 111 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) | map | 112 | |
| Red-tailed Skimmer (Orthemis schmidti) | map | 113 | |
| Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) | map | 114 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) | map | 115 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) | map | 116 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) | map | 117 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) | map | 118 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) | map | 119 | |
| Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) | map | 120 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) | map | 121 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) | map | 122 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) | map | 123 | |
| Vermilion Saddlebags (Tramea abdominalis) | map | 124 | |
| Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini) | map | 125 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) | map | 126 | |