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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Sinaloa (sin) |
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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. | 22 | 0 | |
| Added: Erythrodiplax fusca |
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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 | |
| 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 | Guatemala, Mexico. | 6 |
| Racket-tipped Rubyspot (Hetaerina occisa) | map | 7 | |
| Smoky Rubyspot (Hetaerina titia) | map | 8 | |
| Canyon Rubyspot (Hetaerina vulnerata) | map | Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 9 |
| Pond Damselflies (Coenagrionidae) | |||
| Black-and-white Damsel (Apanisagrion lais) | map | El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 10 |
| Cerulean Dancer (Argia anceps) | map | 11 | |
| Yaqui Dancer (Argia carlcooki) | map | Mexico, USA. | 12 |
| Spine-tipped Dancer (Argia extranea) | map | Mexico, USA. | 13 |
| Springwater Dancer (Argia funebris) | map | 14 | |
| Harkness’s Dancer (Argia harknessi) | map | Mexico, USA. | 15 |
| Lavender Dancer (Argia hinei) | map | Mexico, USA. | 16 |
| Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda) | map | 17 | |
| Sierra Madre Dancer (Argia lacrimans) | map | Mexico, USA. | 18 |
| Sooty Dancer (Argia lugens) | map | 19 | |
| May's Dancer (Argia mayi) | map | Mexico. | 20 |
| Oculate Dancer (Argia oculata) | map | 21 | |
| Fiery-eyed Dancer (Argia oenea) | map | 22 | |
| Amethyst Dancer (Argia pallens) | map | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 23 |
| Purple Dancer (Argia pulla) | map | 24 | |
| Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula) | map | 25 | |
| Tarascan Dancer (Argia tarascana) | map | Mexico, USA. | 26 |
| Tezpi Dancer (Argia tezpi) | map | 27 | |
| Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) | map | 28 | |
| Celestial Dancer (Argia variabilis) | map | Guatemala, Mexico. | 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 | Mexico, USA. | 33 |
| Desert Forktail (Ischnura barberi) | map | Mexico, USA. | 34 |
| Mexican Forktail (Ischnura demorsa) | map | Mexico, USA. | 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 | Mexico, USA. | 39 |
| Red-tipped Swampdamsel (Leptobasis vacillans) | map | 40 | |
| Lemon-tipped Helicopter (Mecistogaster ornata) | map | 41 | |
| West Mexican Yellowface (Neoerythromma gladiolatum) | map | Mexico. | 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 | Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 51 |
| Bar-sided Darner (Gynacantha mexicana) | map | 52 | |
| Twilight Darner (Gynacantha nervosa) | map | 53 | |
| Riffle Darner (Oplonaeschna armata) | map | Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, USA. | 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 | Guatemala, Mexico, USA. | 60 |
| Serpent Ringtail (Erpetogomphus lampropeltis) | map | Mexico, USA. | 61 |
| Black-tailed Ringtail (Erpetogomphus molossus) | map | Mexico, USA. | 62 |
| Angle-tipped Forceptail (Phyllocycla elongata) | map | Mexico. | 63 |
| Spine-tipped Leaftail (Phyllogomphoides apiculatus) | map | Mexico. | 64 |
| Zebra-striped Sanddragon (Progomphus clendoni) | map | 65 | |
| Mexican Sanddragon (Progomphus mexicanus) | map | 66 | |
| Splendid Sanddragon (Progomphus zonatus) | map | Mexico. | 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 | Mexico, USA. | 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 | |
| Red-faced Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax fusca) | map | 84 | |
| Neon Skimmer (Libellula croceipennis) | map | 85 | |
| Red-mantled Skimmer (Libellula gaigei) | map | Belize, Mexico, USA. | 86 |
| Marl Pennant (Macrodiplax balteata) | map | 87 | |
| Delta-spotted Sylph (Macrothemis hemichlora) | map | 88 | |
| Straw-colored Sylph (Macrothemis inacuta) | map | 89 | |
| White-tailed Sylph (Macrothemis pseudimitans) | map | 90 | |
| Sierra Madre Sylph (Macrothemis ultima) | map | Mexico. | 91 |
| Hyacinth Glider (Miathyria marcella) | map | 92 | |
| Dwarf Glider (Miathyria simplex) | map | 93 | |
| Spot-tailed Dasher (Micrathyria aequalis) | map | 94 | |
| Three-striped Dasher (Micrathyria didyma) | map | 95 | |
| Thornbush Dasher (Micrathyria hagenii) | map | 96 | |
| Square-spotted Dasher (Micrathyria ocellata) | map | 97 | |
| Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) | map | 98 | |
| Roseate Skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) | map | 99 | |
| Slender Skimmer (Orthemis levis) | map | 100 | |
| Red-tailed Skimmer (Orthemis schmidti) | map | 101 | |
| Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) | map | 102 | |
| Red Rock Skimmer (Paltothemis lineatipes) | map | 103 | |
| Wandering Glider (Pantala flavescens) | map | 104 | |
| Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) | map | 105 | |
| Slough Amberwing (Perithemis domitia) | map | 106 | |
| Mexican Amberwing (Perithemis intensa) | map | 107 | |
| Filigree Skimmer (Pseudoleon superbus) | map | 108 | |
| Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum) | map | 109 | |
| Cardinal Meadowhawk (Sympetrum illotum) | map | 110 | |
| Arch-tipped Glider (Tauriphila argo) | map | 111 | |
| Aztec Glider (Tauriphila azteca) | map | 112 | |
| Evening Skimmer (Tholymis citrina) | map | 113 | |
| Striped Saddlebags (Tramea darwini) | map | 114 | |
| Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata) | map | 115 | |
| Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) | map | 116 | |