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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Nuevo León (nle) |
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| Total | Registered | ||
| Mexican endemics | |||
| True Species that normally do not occur outside of Mexico. | 9 | 0 | |
| Regionals US border states plus area south of Mexico including Nicaragua. | 20 | 0 | |
| Added: Aeshna williamsoniana (dead specimen) Triacanthagyna septima Not added: Erpetogomphus eutainia |
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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 | |
| Rainpool Spreadwing (Lestes forficula) | map | 3 | |
| Chalky Spreadwing (Lestes sigma) | map | 4 | |
| Shadowdamsels (Platystictidae) | |||
| Córdoba Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema paulicoba) | map | Mexico. | 5 |
| Atoyac Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema paulitoyaca) | map | 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 | Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 11 |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | |||
| Mexican Wedgetail (Acanthagrion quadratum) | map | 12 | |
| Black-and-white Damsel (Apanisagrion lais) | map | El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 13 |
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) | map | 14 | |
| Argia annae (Argia annae) | map | Mexico. | 15 |
| Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis) | map | 16 | |
| Comanche Dancer (Argia barretti) | map | Mexico, USA. | 17 |
| Coppery Dancer (Argia cuprea) | map | Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 18 |
| Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis) | map | 19 | |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) | map | 20 | |
| Garrison's Dancer (Argia garrisoni) | map | Mexico. | 21 |
| Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda) | map | 22 | |
| Sierra Madre Dancer (Argia lacrimans) | map | Mexico, USA. | 23 |
| Leonora’s Dancer (Argia leonorae) | map | Mexico, USA. | 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 | Mexico, USA. | 29 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) | map | 30 | |
| Tonto Dancer (Argia tonto) | map | Mexico, USA. | 31 |
| Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) | map | 32 | |
| Olmec Dancer (Argia ulmeca) | map | 33 | |
| Westfall's Dancer (Argia westfalli) | map | Mexico. | 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 | Mexico, USA. | 40 |
| Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum) | map | 41 | |
| Painted Damsel (Hesperagrion heterodoxum) | map | Mexico, USA. | 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 | Mexico, USA. | 50 |
| Orange-striped Threadtail (Protoneura cara) | map | 51 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | |||
| Mountain Stream Darner (Aeshna williamsoniana) | map | 52 | |
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) | map | 53 | |
| Blue-spotted Comet Darner (Anax concolor) | map | 54 | |
| Common Green Darner (Anax junius) | map | 55 | |
| Giant Darner (Anax walsinghami) | map | Mexico, USA. | 56 |
| Blue-faced Darner (Coryphaeschna adnexa) | map | 57 | |
| Fiery Darner (Coryphaeschna diapyra) | map | 58 | |
| Broad-striped Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna magna) | map | Mexico. | 59 |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) | map | 60 | |
| Arroyo Darner (Rhionaeschna dugesi) | map | Mexico, USA. | 61 |
| Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) | map | 62 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) | map | 63 | |
| Caribbean Darner (Triacanthagyna caribbea) | map | 64 | |
| Pale-green Darner (Triacanthagyna septima) | map | 65 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | |||
| Broad-striped Forceptail (Aphylla angustifolia) | map | 66 | |
| Narrow-striped Forceptail (Aphylla protracta) | map | 67 | |
| Flag-tailed Spinyleg (Dromogomphus spoliatus) | map | 68 | |
| One-striped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus bothrops) | map | 69 | |
| Knob-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus constrictor) | map | 70 | |
| Eastern Ringtail (Erpetogomphus designatus) | map | 71 | |
| Straight-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus elaps) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 72 |
| Dark-shouldered Ringtail (Erpetogomphus liopeltis) | map | Mexico. | 73 |
| Plateau Ringtail (Erpetogomphus sipedon) | map | Mexico. | 74 |
| Sulphur-tipped Clubtail (Phanogomphus militaris) | map | Mexico, USA. | 75 |
| Five-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides albrighti) | map | Mexico, USA. | 76 |
| Four-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides stigmatus) | map | Mexico, USA. | 77 |
| Common Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides suasus) | map | 78 | |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) | map | 79 | |
| Russet-tipped Clubtail (Stylurus plagiatus) | map | 80 | |
| Goldenrings (Cordulegastridae) | |||
| Apache Spiketail (Cordulegaster diadema) | map | 81 | |
| Cruisers (Macromiidae) | |||
| Bronzed River Cruiser (Macromia annulata) | map | Mexico, USA. | 82 |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | |||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) | map | 83 | |
| Four-spotted Pennant (Brachymesia gravida) | map | 84 | |
| Tawny Pennant (Brachymesia herbida) | map | 85 | |
| Pale-faced Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga mendax) | map | 86 | |
| Slender Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga praecox) | map | 87 | |
| Tepeaca Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga tepeaca) | map | Mexico. | 88 |
| Vivacious Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga vivax) | map | 89 | |
| Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) | map | 90 | |
| Checkered Setwing (Dythemis fugax) | map | Mexico, USA. | 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 | |
| Swift Setwing (Dythemis velox) | map | 96 | |
| Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala) | map | 97 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) | map | 98 | |
| Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) | map | 99 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) | map | 100 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) | map | 101 | |
| Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea) | map | 102 | |
| Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) | map | 103 | |
| Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata) | map | 104 | |
| Metallic Pennant (Idiataphe cubensis) | map | 105 | |
| Comanche Skimmer (Libellula comanche) | map | 106 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) | map | 107 | |
| Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa) | map | 108 | |
| Needham’s Skimmer (Libellula needhami) | map | 109 | |
| Twelve-spotted Skimmer (Libellula pulchella) | map | 110 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) | map | 111 | |
| Marl Pennant (Macrodiplax balteata) | map | 112 | |
| Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) | map | 113 | |
| Jade-striped Sylph (Macrothemis inequiunguis) | map | 114 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) | map | 115 | |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) | map | 116 | |
| Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis) | map | 117 | |
| Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) | map | 118 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) | map | 119 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) | map | 120 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) | map | 121 | |
| Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) | map | 122 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) | map | 123 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) | map | 124 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) | map | 125 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) | map | 126 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) | map | 127 | |
| Eastern Amberwing (Perithemis tenera) | map | 128 | |
| Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia) | map | 129 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) | map | 130 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) | map | 131 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) | map | 132 | |
| Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini) | map | 133 | |
| Antillean Saddlebags (Tramea insularis) | map | 134 | |
| Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) | map | 135 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) | map | 136 | |
| Emeralds (Corduliidae) | |||
| Dot-winged Baskettail (Epitheca petechialis) | map | 137 | |
| Prince Baskettail (Epitheca princeps) | map | 138 | |