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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Sinaloa (sin) |
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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. | 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 | |
| Chalky Spreadwing (Lestes sigma) map | 3 | |
| Blue-striped Spreadwing (Lestes tenuatus) map | 4 | |
| Demoiselles (Calopterygidae) | ||
| American Rubyspot (Hetaerina americana) map | 5 | |
| Cryptic Rubyspot (Hetaerina calverti) map | 6 | |
| Racket-tipped Rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa) map | 7 | |
| Smoky Rubyspot (Hetaerina titia) map | 8 | |
| Canyon Rubyspot (Hetaerina vulnerata) map | 9 | |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | ||
| Black-and-white Damsel (Apanisagrion lais) map | 10 | |
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) map | 11 | |
| Yaqui Dancer (Argia carlcooki) map | 12 | |
| Spine-tipped Dancer (Argia extranea) map | 13 | |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) map | 14 | |
| Harkness’s Dancer (Argia harknessi) map | 15 | |
| Lavender Dancer (Argia hinei) map | 16 | |
| Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda) map | 17 | |
| Sierra Madre Dancer (Argia lacrimans) map | 18 | |
| Sooty Dancer (Argia lugens) map | 19 | |
| May's Dancer (Argia mayi) map | 20 | |
| Oculate Dancer (Argia oculata) map | 21 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) map | 22 | |
| Amethyst Dancer (Argia pallens) map | 23 | |
| Purple Dancer (Argia pulla) map | 24 | |
| Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) map | 25 | |
| Tarascan Dancer (Argia tarascana) map | 26 | |
| Tezpi Dancer (Argia tezpi) map | 27 | |
| Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) map | 28 | |
| Celestial Dancer (Argia variabilis) map | 29 | |
| Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) map | 30 | |
| Neotropical Bluet (Enallagma novaehispaniae) map | 31 | |
| Arroyo Bluet (Enallagma praevarum) map | 32 | |
| Claw-tipped Bluet (Enallagma semicirculare) map | 33 | |
| Desert Forktail (Ischnura barberi) map | 34 | |
| Mexican Forktail (Ischnura demorsa) map | 35 | |
| Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) map | 36 | |
| Rambur’s Forktail (Ischnura ramburii) map | 37 | |
| Guanacaste Swampdamsel (Leptobasis guanacaste) map | 38 | |
| Cream-tipped Swampdamsel (Leptobasis melinogaster) map | 39 | |
| Red-tipped Swampdamsel (Leptobasis vacillans) map | 40 | |
| Lemon-tipped Helicopter (Mecistogaster ornata) map | 41 | |
| West Mexican Yellowface (Neoerythromma gladiolatum) map | 42 | |
| Striped Firetail (Telebasis filiola) map | 43 | |
| Hyacinth Firetail (Telebasis levis) map | 44 | |
| Desert Firetail (Telebasis salva) map | 45 | |
| Threadtails (Protoneuridae) | ||
| Amelia’s Threadtail (Neoneura amelia) map | 46 | |
| Orange-striped Threadtail (Protoneura cara) map | 47 | |
| Hawkers (Aeshnidae) | ||
| Amazon Darner (Anax amazili) map | 48 | |
| Common Green Darner (Anax junius) map | 49 | |
| Blue-faced Darner (Coryphaeschna adnexa) map | 50 | |
| Helen's Darner (Gynacantha helenga) map | 51 | |
| Bar-sided Darner (Gynacantha mexicana) map | 52 | |
| Twilight Darner (Gynacantha nervosa) map | 53 | |
| Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna armata) map | 54 | |
| Blue-eyed Darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) map | 55 | |
| Turquoise-tipped Darner (Rhionaeschna psilus) map | 56 | |
| Pale-green Darner (Triacanthagyna septima) map | 57 | |
| Clubtails (Gomphidae) | ||
| Narrow-striped Forceptail (Aphylla protracta) map | 58 | |
| One-striped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus bothrops) map | 59 | |
| Straight-tipped Ringtail (Erpetogomphus elaps) map | 60 | |
| Serpent Ringtail (Erpetogomphus lampropeltis) map | 61 | |
| Black-tailed Ringtail (Erpetogomphus molossus) map | 62 | |
| Angle-tipped Forceptail (Phyllocycla elongata) map | 63 | |
| Spine-tipped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides apiculatus) map | 64 | |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) map | 65 | |
| Mexican Sanddragon (Progomphus mexicanus) map | 66 | |
| Splendid Sanddragon (Progomphus zonatus) map | 67 | |
| Goldenrings (Cordulegastridae) | ||
| Apache Spiketail (Cordulegaster diadema) map | 68 | |
| Skimmers (Libellulidae) | ||
| Red-tailed Pennant (Brachymesia furcata) map | 69 | |
| Tawny Pennant (Brachymesia herbida) map | 70 | |
| Slender Clubskimmer (Brechmorhoga praecox) map | 71 | |
| Mayan Setwing (Dythemis maya) map | 72 | |
| Blue-eyed Setwing (Dythemis nigra) map | 73 | |
| Black Setwing (Dythemis nigrescens) map | 74 | |
| Brown Setwing (Dythemis sterilis) map | 75 | |
| Black Pondhawk (Erythemis attala) map | 76 | |
| Red Pondhawk (Erythemis haematogastra) map | 77 | |
| Claret Pondhawk (Erythemis mithroides) map | 78 | |
| Pin-tailed Pondhawk (Erythemis plebeja) map | 79 | |
| Great Pondhawk (Erythemis vesiculosa) map | 80 | |
| Plateau Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax basifusca) map | 81 | |
| Seaside Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenice) map | 82 | |
| Black-winged Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax funerea) map | 83 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) map | 84 | |
| Red-mantled Skimmer (Libellula gaigei) map | 85 | |
| Marl Pennant (Macrodiplax balteata) map | 86 | |
| Delta-spotted Sylph (Macrothemis hemichlora) map | 87 | |
| Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) map | 88 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) map | 89 | |
| Sierra Madre Sylph (Macrothemis ultima) map | Endemic to Mexico | 90 |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) map | 91 | |
| Dwarf Glider (Miathyria simplex) map | 92 | |
| Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis) map | 93 | |
| Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) map | 94 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) map | 95 | |
| Square-spotted Dasher (Micrathyria ocellata) map | 96 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) map | 97 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) map | 98 | |
| Slender Skimmer (Orthemis levis) map | 99 | |
| Red-tailed Skimmer (Orthemis schmidti) map | 100 | |
| Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) map | 101 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) map | 102 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) map | 103 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) map | 104 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) map | 105 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) map | 106 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) map | 107 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) map | 108 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) map | 109 | |
| Arch-tipped Glider (Tauriphila argo) map | 110 | |
| Aztec Glider (Tauriphila azteca) map | 111 | |
| Evening Skimmer (Tholymis citrina) map | 112 | |
| Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini) map | 113 | |
| Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) map | 114 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) map | 115 | |