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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Querétaro (que) |
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| Total | Registered | ||
| Mexican endemics | |||
| True Species that normally do not occur outside of Mexico. | 6 | 0 | |
| Regionals US border states plus area south of Mexico including Nicaragua. | 21 | 0 | |
| Added: Anax concolor Argia pipila Coryphaeschna adnexa Gynacantha helenga Gynacantha nervosa Hetaerina occisa Libellula gaigei Palaemnema paulicoba Remartinia secreta |
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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 | |
| Shadowdamsels (Platystictidae) | |||
| Córdoba Shadowdamsel (Palaemnema paulicoba) | map | Mexico. | 3 |
| Demoiselles (Calopterygidae) | |||
| American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) | map | 4 | |
| Cryptic Rubyspot (Hetaerina calverti) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 5 |
| Highland Rubyspot (Hetaerina cruentata) | map | 6 | |
| Emerald Rubyspot (Hetaerina infecta) | map | Mexico. | 7 |
| Racket-tipped Rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa) | map | 8 | |
| Smoky Rubyspot (Hetaerina titia) | map | 9 | |
| Canyon Rubyspot (Hetaerina vulnerata) | map | Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 10 |
| Cascade Damsels (Thaumatoneuridae) | |||
| Showy Cascade Damsel (Paraphlebia zoe) | map | Mexico. | 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 |
| Comanche Dancer (Argia barretti) | map | Mexico, USA. | 16 |
| Coppery Dancer (Argia cuprea) | map | Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 17 |
| Spine-tipped Dancer (Argia extranea) | map | Mexico, USA. | 18 |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) | map | 19 | |
| Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda) | map | 20 | |
| Sooty Dancer (Argia lugens) | map | 21 | |
| Oculate Dancer (Argia oculata) | map | 22 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) | map | 23 | |
| Amethyst Dancer (Argia pallens) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 24 |
| Pipila Dancer (Argia pipila) | map | 25 | |
| Golden-winged Dancer (Argia rhoadsi) | map | Mexico, USA. | 26 |
| Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) | map | 27 | |
| Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) | map | 28 | |
| Olmec Dancer (Argia ulmeca) | map | 29 | |
| Westfall's Dancer (Argia westfalli) | map | Mexico. | 30 |
| Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) | map | 31 | |
| Neotropical Bluet (Enallagma novaehispaniae) | map | 32 | |
| Arroyo Bluet (Enallagma praevarum) | map | 33 | |
| Claw-tipped Bluet (Enallagma semicirculare) | map | Mexico, USA. | 34 |
| Painted Damsel (Hesperagrion heterodoxum) | map | Mexico, USA. | 35 |
| Mexican Forktail (Ischnura demorsa) | map | Mexico, USA. | 36 |
| Black-fronted Forktail (Ischnura denticollis) | map | 37 | |
| Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) | map | 38 | |
| Mexican Blue-winged Helicopter (Megaloprepus latipennis) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 39 |
| Broad-winged Helicopter (Pseudostigma aberrans) | map | 40 | |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) | map | 41 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | |||
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) | map | 42 | |
| Blue-spotted Comet Darner (Anax concolor) | map | 43 | |
| Common Green Darner (Anax junius) | map | 44 | |
| Giant Darner (Anax walsinghami) | map | Mexico, USA. | 45 |
| Blue-faced Darner (Coryphaeschna adnexa) | map | 46 | |
| Helen's Darner (Gynacantha helenga) | map | Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 47 |
| Twilight Darner (Gynacantha nervosa) | map | 48 | |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) | map | 49 | |
| Secretive Darner (Remartinia secreta) | map | 50 | |
| Arroyo Darner (Rhionaeschna dugesi) | map | Mexico, USA. | 51 |
| Black-tailed Darner (Rhionaeschna jalapensis) | map | 52 | |
| Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) | map | 53 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) | map | 54 | |
| Pale-green Darner (Triacanthagyna septima) | map | 55 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | |||
| Yellow-legged Ringtail (Erpetogomphus crotalinus) | map | Mexico, USA. | 56 |
| Straight-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus elaps) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 57 |
| Five-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides albrighti) | map | Mexico, USA. | 58 |
| Common Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides suasus) | map | 59 | |
| Belyshev’s Sanddragon (Progomphus belyshevi) | map | Mexico. | 60 |
| Gray Sanddragon (Progomphus borealis) | map | Mexico, USA. | 61 |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) | map | 62 | |
| Goldenrings (Cordulegastridae) | |||
| Apache Spiketail (Cordulegaster diadema) | map | 63 | |
| Cruisers (Macromiidae) | |||
| Western River Cruiser (Macromia magnifica) | map | 64 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | |||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) | map | 65 | |
| Slender Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga praecox) | map | 66 | |
| Mayan Setwing (Dythemis maya) | map | 67 | |
| Blue-eyed Setwing (Dythemis nigra) | map | 68 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) | map | Mexico, USA. | 69 |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) | map | 70 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) | map | 71 | |
| Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) | map | 72 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) | map | 73 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) | map | 74 | |
| Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) | map | 75 | |
| Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata) | map | 76 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) | map | 77 | |
| Red-mantled Skimmer (Libellula gaigei) | map | Belize, Mexico, USA. | 78 |
| Hercules Skimmer (Libellula herculea) | map | 79 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) | map | 80 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) | map | 81 | |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) | map | 82 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) | map | 83 | |
| Upland Dasher (Micrathyria paulsoni) | map | 84 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) | map | 85 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) | map | 86 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) | map | 87 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) | map | 88 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) | map | 89 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) | map | 90 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) | map | 91 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) | map | 92 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) | map | 93 | |
| Vermilion Saddlebags (Tramea abdominalis) | map | 94 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) | map | 95 | |