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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Querétaro (que) |
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| Total | Registered | ||
| Mexican endemics | |||
| True Species that normally do not occur outside of Mexico. | 1 | 0 | |
| Regionals US border states plus area south of Mexico including Nicaragua. | 1 | 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 | |
| Demoiselles (Calopterygidae) | ||
| American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) map | 3 | |
| Cryptic Rubyspot (Hetaerina calverti) map | 4 | |
| Highland Rubyspot (Hetaerina cruentata) map | 5 | |
| Emerald Rubyspot (Hetaerina infecta) map | 6 | |
| Smoky Rubyspot (Hetaerina titia) map | 7 | |
| Canyon Rubyspot (Hetaerina vulnerata) map | 8 | |
| Cascade Damsels (Thaumatoneuridae) | ||
| Showy Cascade Damsel (Paraphlebia zoe) map | 9 | |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | ||
| Mexican Wedgetail (Acanthagrion quadratum) map | 10 | |
| Black-and-white Damsel (Apanisagrion lais) map | 11 | |
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) map | 12 | |
| Argia annae (Argia annae) map | Endemic to Mexico | 13 |
| Comanche Dancer (Argia barretti) map | 14 | |
| Coppery Dancer (Argia cuprea) map | 15 | |
| Spine-tipped Dancer (Argia extranea) map | 16 | |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) map | 17 | |
| Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda) map | 18 | |
| Sooty Dancer (Argia lugens) map | 19 | |
| Oculate Dancer (Argia oculata) map | 20 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) map | 21 | |
| Amethyst Dancer (Argia pallens) map | 22 | |
| Golden-winged Dancer (Argia rhoadsi) map | 23 | |
| Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) map | 24 | |
| Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) map | 25 | |
| Olmec Dancer (Argia ulmeca) map | 26 | |
| Westfall's Dancer (Argia westfalli) map | 27 | |
| Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) map | 28 | |
| Neotropical Bluet (Enallagma novaehispaniae) map | 29 | |
| Arroyo Bluet (Enallagma praevarum) map | 30 | |
| Claw-tipped Bluet (Enallagma semicirculare) map | 31 | |
| Painted Damsel (Hesperagrion heterodoxum) map | 32 | |
| Mexican Forktail (Ischnura demorsa) map | 33 | |
| Black-fronted Forktail (Ischnura denticollis) map | 34 | |
| Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) map | 35 | |
| Mexican Blue-winged Helicopter (Megaloprepus latipennis) map | Near-endemic to Mexico | 36 |
| Broad-winged Helicopter (Pseudostigma aberrans) map | 37 | |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) map | 38 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | ||
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) map | 39 | |
| Common Green Darner (Anax junius) map | 40 | |
| Giant Darner (Anax walsinghami) map | 41 | |
| Malachite Darner (Remartinia luteipennis) map | 42 | |
| Arroyo Darner (Rhionaeschna dugesi) map | 43 | |
| Black-tailed Darner (Rhionaeschna jalapensis) map | 44 | |
| Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) map | 45 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) map | 46 | |
| Pale-green Darner (Triacanthagyna septima) map | 47 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | ||
| Yellow-legged Ringtail (Erpetogomphus crotalinus) map | 48 | |
| Straight-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus elaps) map | 49 | |
| Five-striped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides albrighti) map | 50 | |
| Common Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides suasus) map | 51 | |
| Belyshev’s Sanddragon (Progomphus belyshevi) map | 52 | |
| Gray Sanddragon (Progomphus borealis) map | 53 | |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) map | 54 | |
| Goldenrings (Cordulegastridae) | ||
| Apache Spiketail (Cordulegaster diadema) map | 55 | |
| Cruisers (Macromiidae) | ||
| Western River Cruiser (Macromia magnifica) map | 56 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | ||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) map | 57 | |
| Slender Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga praecox) map | 58 | |
| Mayan Setwing (Dythemis maya) map | 59 | |
| Blue-eyed Setwing (Dythemis nigra) map | 60 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) map | 61 | |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) map | 62 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) map | 63 | |
| Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) map | 64 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) map | 65 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) map | 66 | |
| Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) map | 67 | |
| Band-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax umbrata) map | 68 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) map | 69 | |
| Hercules Skimmer (Libellula herculea) map | 70 | |
| Flame Skimmer (Libellula saturata) map | 71 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) map | 72 | |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) map | 73 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) map | 74 | |
| Upland Dasher (Micrathyria paulsoni) map | 75 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) map | 76 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) map | 77 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) map | 78 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) map | 79 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) map | 80 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) map | 81 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) map | 82 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) map | 83 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) map | 84 | |
| Vermilion Saddlebags (Tramea abdominalis) map | 85 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) map | 86 | |