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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Nuevo León (nle) |
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| Total | Registered | ||
| Mexican endemics | |||
| True Species that normally do not occur outside of Mexico. | 3 | 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 | |
| Rainpool Spreadwing (Lestes forficula) map | 3 | |
| Chalky Spreadwing (Lestes sigma) map | 4 | |
| Shadowdamsels (Platystictidae) | ||
| Córdoba Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema paulicoba) map | Endemic to Mexico | 5 |
| Atoyac Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema paulitoyaca) map | Endemic to Mexico | 6 |
| Demoiselles (Calopterygidae) | ||
| American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) map | 7 | |
| Highland Rubyspot (Hetaerina cruentata) map | 8 | |
| Racket-tipped Rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa) map | 9 | |
| Smoky Rubyspot (Hetaerina titia) map | 10 | |
| Canyon Rubyspot (Hetaerina vulnerata) map | 11 | |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | ||
| Mexican Wedgetail (Acanthagrion quadratum) map | 12 | |
| Black-and-white Damsel (Apanisagrion lais) map | 13 | |
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) map | 14 | |
| Argia annae (Argia annae) map | Endemic to Mexico | 15 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis) map | 16 | |
| Comanche Dancer (Argia barretti) map | 17 | |
| Coppery Dancer (Argia cuprea) map | 18 | |
| Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis) map | 19 | |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) map | 20 | |
| Garrison's Dancer (Argia garrisoni) map | 21 | |
| Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda) map | 22 | |
| Sierra Madre Dancer (Argia lacrimans) map | 23 | |
| Leonora’s Dancer (Argia leonorae) map | 24 | |
| Powdered Dancer (Argia moesta) map | 25 | |
| Aztec Dancer (Argia nahuana) map | 26 | |
| Oculate Dancer (Argia oculata) map | 27 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) map | 28 | |
| Golden-winged Dancer (Argia rhoadsi) map | 29 | |
| Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) map | 30 | |
| Tonto Dancer (Argia tonto) map | 31 | |
| Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) map | 32 | |
| Olmec Dancer (Argia ulmeca) map | 33 | |
| Westfall's Dancer (Argia westfalli) map | 34 | |
| Double-striped Bluet (Enallagma basidens) map | 35 | |
| Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) map | 36 | |
| Stream Bluet (Enallagma exsulans) map | 37 | |
| Neotropical Bluet (Enallagma novaehispaniae) map | 38 | |
| Arroyo Bluet (Enallagma praevarum) map | 39 | |
| Claw-tipped Bluet (Enallagma semicirculare) map | 40 | |
| Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum) map | 41 | |
| Painted Damsel (Hesperagrion heterodoxum) map | 42 | |
| Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) map | 43 | |
| Fragile Forktail (Ischnura posita) map | 44 | |
| Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) map | 45 | |
| Tropical Sprite (Nehalennia minuta) map | 46 | |
| Caribbean Yellowface (Neoerythromma cultellatum) map | 47 | |
| Broad-winged Helicopter (Pseudostigma aberrans) map | 48 | |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) map | 49 | |
| Threadtails (Protoneuridae) | ||
| Coral-fronted Threadtail (Neoneura aaroni) map | 50 | |
| Orange-striped Threadtail (Protoneura cara) map | 51 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | ||
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) map | 52 | |
| Blue-spotted Comet Darner (Anax concolor) map | 53 | |
| Common Green Darner (Anax junius) map | 54 | |
| Giant Darner (Anax walsinghami) map | 55 | |
| Blue-faced Darner (Coryphaeschna adnexa) map | 56 | |
| Fiery Darner (Coryphaeschna diapyra) map | 57 | |
| Broad-striped Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna magna) map | 58 | |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) map | 59 | |
| Arroyo Darner (Rhionaeschna dugesi) map | 60 | |
| Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) map | 61 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) map | 62 | |
| Caribbean Darner (Triacanthagyna caribbea) map | 63 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | ||
| Broad-striped Forceptail (Aphylla angustifolia) map | 64 | |
| Narrow-striped Forceptail (Aphylla protracta) map | 65 | |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg (Dromogomphus spoliatus) map | 66 | |
| One-striped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus bothrops) map | 67 | |
| Knob-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus constrictor) map | 68 | |
| Eastern Ringtail (Erpetogomphus designatus) map | 69 | |
| Straight-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus elaps) map | 70 | |
| Dark-shouldered Ringtail (Erpetogomphus liopeltis) map | 71 | |
| Plateau Ringtail (Erpetogomphus sipedon) map | 72 | |
| Sulphur-tipped Clubtail (Phanogomphus militaris) map | 73 | |
| Five-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides albrighti) map | 74 | |
| Four-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides stigmatus) map | 75 | |
| Common Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides suasus) map | 76 | |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) map | 77 | |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail (Stylurus plagiatus) map | 78 | |
| Goldenrings (Cordulegastridae) | ||
| Apache Spiketail (Cordulegaster diadema) map | 79 | |
| Cruisers (Macromiidae) | ||
| Bronzed River Cruiser (Macromia annulata) map | 80 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | ||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) map | 81 | |
| Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida) map | 82 | |
| Tawny Pennant (Brachymesia herbida) map | 83 | |
| Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax) map | 84 | |
| Slender Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga praecox) map | 85 | |
| Tepeaca Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga tepeaca) map | 86 | |
| Vivacious Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga vivax) map | 87 | |
| Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) map | 88 | |
| Checkered Setwing (Dythemis fugax) map | 89 | |
| Mayan Setwing (Dythemis maya) map | 90 | |
| Blue-eyed Setwing (Dythemis nigra) map | 91 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) map | 92 | |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) map | 93 | |
| Swift Setwing (Dythemis velox) map | 94 | |
| Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala) map | 95 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) map | 96 | |
| Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) map | 97 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) map | 98 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) map | 99 | |
| Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea) map | 100 | |
| Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) map | 101 | |
| Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata) map | 102 | |
| Metallic Pennant (Idiataphe cubensis) map | 103 | |
| Comanche Skimmer (Libellula comanche) map | 104 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) map | 105 | |
| Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) map | 106 | |
| Needham’s Skimmer (Libellula needhami) map | 107 | |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) map | 108 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) map | 109 | |
| Marl Pennant (Macrodiplax balteata) map | 110 | |
| Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) map | 111 | |
| Jade-striped Sylph (Macrothemis inequiunguis) map | 112 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) map | 113 | |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) map | 114 | |
| Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis) map | 115 | |
| Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) map | 116 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) map | 117 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) map | 118 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) map | 119 | |
| Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) map | 120 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) map | 121 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) map | 122 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) map | 123 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) map | 124 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) map | 125 | |
| Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) map | 126 | |
| Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) map | 127 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) map | 128 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) map | 129 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) map | 130 | |
| Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini) map | 131 | |
| Antillean Saddlebags (Tramea insularis) map | 132 | |
| Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) map | 133 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) map | 134 | |
| Emeralds (Corduliidae) | ||
| Dot-winged Baskettail (Epitheca petechialis) map | 135 | |