Insects of La Saladita — Butterflies, Beetles & Dragonflies, Guerrero Mexico

Data note: iNaturalist and GBIF records for this region are moderate-to-sparse relative to better-surveyed areas. The 5,350 combined records and 1,514+ species documented here reflect citizen-science effort and research survey coverage, not the true richness of what lives here. Many species present in these tropical habitats are likely unrecorded. Counts are honest proxies, not ceilings.

Freshwater, saltwater, and dry scrub within a few hundred metres creates exceptional insect habitat. Butterflies best-documented: 100+ species within 25 km. Notable: barred yellow (*Eurema daira*), banded peacock (*Anartia fatima*), crimson-patched longwing (*Heliconius erato*), migratory monarch in late autumn. Lagoon dragonflies: black-winged dragonlet (*Erythrodiplax funerea*), carmine skimmer (*Orthemis discolor*), great pondhawk (*Erythemis vesiculosa*). Beetles: most species-rich order on Earth, most undersampled here — current data skews toward photogenic lady beetles. Secondary Jul–Aug peak when rainfall triggers flowering and fungi.

Seasonal calendar

Observation activity by month

Monthly counts from combined iNaturalist + GBIF data (2000–2025, within 25 km of Saladita). Counts reflect observation effort as much as true seasonal abundance — Nov–Jan are well-sampled visitor months.

Jan

🦋

709

Feb

🦋

335

Mar

🪲

Apr

🪲

May

🪲

Jun

🦋

327

Jul

🦋

599

Aug

🦋

353

Sep

🦋

230

Oct

🦋

432

Nov

🦋

1439

Dec

🦋

695

Peak observations (Nov)

Active (Jan, Jul, Oct, Dec)

Moderate

Low observer coverage

Live data

Recent sightings

iNaturalist observations logged within 25 km of La Saladita in the last 30 days. Records include research-grade and needs-ID observations. Photos shown where available.

Loading recent insect records…

Field guide

Photo field guide

Insects you'll meet

Butterflies (the signature group)

Monarca Monarch Danaus plexippus Iconic migrant

Cebra Zebra Longwing Heliconius charithonia Slow-flying, striped

Pasionaria Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae Orange-red, common

Blanca naranja White Angled-Sulphur Anteos clorinde Big yellow-white

Mariposa azufre Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae Bright yellow, fast

Amarilla rayada Barred Yellow Eurema daira Small yellow grasslands

Polidamus Polydamas Swallowtail Battus polydamas Black with yellow border

Mariposa crujidora Gray Cracker Hamadryas februa Clicks when flying

Dragonflies & damselflies

Halcón verde Great Pondhawk Erythemis vesiculosa Bright green, lagoon edge

Libélula errante Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens Long-distance migrant

Libélula negra Black Setwing Erythrodiplax funerea Dark, lagoon-dependent

Libélula rubí American Rubyspot Hetaerina americana Damselfly, ruby-winged

Beetles & bees

Abeja melífera Western Honeybee Apis mellifera Hives in dry forest

Abeja carpintera Mexican Carpenter Bee Xylocopa mexicanorum Big black, bores in wood

Mayate verde Figeater Beetle Cotinis mutabilis Iridescent green, slow flight

Luciérnaga Common Eastern Firefly Photinus pyralis Lights up rainy nights

Caution & pest

Oruga asesina Lonomia Caterpillar Lonomia electra Venomous spines — do not touch

Chinche besucona Kissing Bug (Triatoma) Reduvius personatus Chagas vector — knows light at night

Mosquito Yellow Fever Mosquito Aedes aegypti Dengue/Zika vector

Hormiga colorada Tropical Fire Ant Solenopsis geminata Painful sting, ground nests

Photos via iNaturalist (CC-licensed). Insect diversity here is enormous — these are highlights. Butterflies are the signature group, with the dry forest behind the village supporting dozens of species in the wet-season flush. Mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) are the most medically important: dengue and Zika both circulate regionally. Use repellent at dawn and dusk during rainy season.

Field guide

Three orders, three habitats

🦋 Lepidoptera

Butterflies & Moths

The best-documented insect group here. Open scrub, beach vegetation, and flowering trees provide continuous nectar through much of the year. Sulphurs, whites, nymphalids, swallowtails, and blues are all well represented. Migratory Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) and sulphurs pass through Sep–Nov on their southbound movement along the Pacific coast.

Top recorded species (iNat + GBIF, 2000–2025)

Eurema daira — Barred Yellow n=66
Hemiargus ceraunus — Ceraunus Blue n=56
Ascia monuste — Great Southern White n=48
Anartia fatima — Banded Peacock n=46
Marpesia petreus — Ruddy Daggerwing n=45
Euptoieta hegesia — Mexican Fritillary n=44
Battus polydamas — Polydamas Swallowtail n=41
Heliconius erato — Red Passion Flower Butterfly n=41

🪲 Odonata

Dragonflies & Damselflies

The estuary lagoon behind the beach is the key habitat. Dragonlets, skimmers, pondhawks, and dashers patrol the water margins year-round. Damselflies — firetails and damsels — are present but undersampled due to size. The strongest records come from Jan–Feb and the rainy season (Jul–Sep) when lagoon water levels are highest.

Top recorded species

Erythrodiplax funerea — Black-winged Dragonlet n=37
Orthemis discolor — Carmine Skimmer n=18
Erythemis vesiculosa — Great Pondhawk n=17
Telebasis salva — Desert Firetail n=15
Dythemis sterilis — Brown Setwing n=9
Micrathyria hagenii — Thornbush Dasher n=8
Perithemis intensa — Mexican Amberwing n=6

🪲 Coleoptera

Beetles

Almost certainly the most species-rich insect order in the mangrove and dry forest — but the most undersampled in the data. Current records are biased toward conspicuous lady beetles and leaf beetles. Longhorns, buprestids, weevils, and ground beetles likely constitute the majority of local beetle diversity but require deliberate searching and specialist identification to record.

Top recorded species — data likely underrepresents true diversity

Epilachna tredecimnotata — Southern Squash Lady Beetle n=21
Zopherus nodulosus — Iron-clad Beetle n=15
Deloyala lecontei — Tortoise Beetle n=15
Cycloneda sanguinea — Spotless Lady Beetle n=12
Charidotella sexpunctata — Golden Tortoise Beetle n=12
Chilocorus cacti — Cactus Lady Beetle n=11
Acmaeodera trizonalis — Jewel Beetle n=11

Soundscape

The insect chorus

Cicadas dominate the dry-season soundscape (December–April). Multiple Diceroprocta and Tibicen species produce the high-volume chorus audible from the beach. Crickets and katydids take over at night near the lagoon margins year-round.

🦗 Hemiptera — Cicadidae

Cicadas

The loudest sound in the dry-season landscape. Cicada choruses begin at dawn and peak mid-morning; the amplitude is remarkable at close range. Multiple species documented in the Guerrero dry forest. iNaturalist sound observations for this group, when available, can be found via the link below — run the build script to embed them directly.

🦗 Orthoptera — Gryllidae

Crickets & Katydids

Nocturnal chirping near the lagoon and beach scrub, audible every night year-round. Several Gryllus and Neoconocephalus species documented in this coastal corridor. Most active Aug–Nov during and after the rainy season. The sound is a constant backdrop at any accommodation near the estuary.

Top observed species

Most recorded insects

Most frequently recorded

Top species (effort-normalized)

Eurema dairaUncommon · 1.23%
Hemiargus ceraunusUncommon · 1.05%
Marpesia petreusUncommon · peak Aug–Sep
Erythrodiplax funereaUncommon · peak Aug–Sep
Orthemis discolorUncommon · peak wet season

With 5,350 total insect records and 1,514 species, no individual species exceeds the 3% "Common" threshold. All top-30 are "Uncommon" by frequency. November bias corrected: wet-season species (Jul–Oct) were systematically undercounted in raw data — effort normalization restores their true peak timing.

Real peak season

Jul–Oct, not November

Raw records spike in November (1,439 obs vs 68 in May) — a 21× observer bias driven by peak tourist season. After effort normalization, the biological peak is July–October (wet season). Species like Marpesia petreus (Ruddy Daggerwing) and Erythrodiplax funerea were miscategorized as November species in raw counts. Their real peak is August–September.

Top 30 insect species by combined iNaturalist + GBIF records within 25 km of La Saladita, 2000–2025. Lepidoptera dominate — a reflection of observer interest, not ecological dominance.

Scientific name	Common name	Order	Obs
Eurema daira	Barred Yellow	Lepidoptera	66
Hemiargus ceraunus	Ceraunus Blue	Lepidoptera	56
Ascia monuste	Great Southern White	Lepidoptera	48
Anartia fatima	Banded Peacock	Lepidoptera	46
Urbanus dorantes	Dorantes Longtail	Lepidoptera	46
Marpesia petreus	Ruddy Daggerwing	Lepidoptera	45
Euptoieta hegesia	Mexican Fritillary	Lepidoptera	44
Battus polydamas	Polydamas Swallowtail	Lepidoptera	41
Heliconius erato	Red Passion Flower Butterfly	Lepidoptera	41
Anartia jatrophae	White Peacock	Lepidoptera	40
Anthanassa tulcis	Tulcis Crescent	Lepidoptera	37
Erythrodiplax funerea	Black-winged Dragonlet	Odonata	37
Dryas iulia	Julia Heliconian	Lepidoptera	36
Siproeta stelenes	Malachite	Lepidoptera	36
Dione vanillae	Gulf Fritillary	Lepidoptera	35
Hamadryas februa	Gray Cracker	Lepidoptera	34
Phoebis sennae	Cloudless Sulphur	Lepidoptera	34
Pyrgus oileus	Tropical Checkered-Skipper	Lepidoptera	34
Microtia elva	Elva's Crescent	Lepidoptera	34
Antigonus erosus	Frayed Skipper	Lepidoptera	33
Orthemis discolor	Carmine Skimmer	Odonata	18
Erythemis vesiculosa	Great Pondhawk	Odonata	17
Telebasis salva	Desert Firetail	Odonata	15
Epilachna tredecimnotata	Southern Squash Lady Beetle	Coleoptera	21
Stenygra histrio	Longhorn Beetle	Coleoptera	16
Zopherus nodulosus	Iron-clad Beetle	Coleoptera	15
Deloyala lecontei	Tortoise Beetle	Coleoptera	15
Cycloneda sanguinea	Spotless Lady Beetle	Coleoptera	12
Charidotella sexpunctata	Golden Tortoise Beetle	Coleoptera	12
Chilocorus cacti	Cactus Lady Beetle	Coleoptera	11

Contribute observations

The insect dataset for this stretch of Guerrero coast is thin relative to what lives here. Every observation you submit to iNaturalist or Seek adds to the permanent scientific record — and helps future visitors and researchers understand what's present.

You don't need to identify to species. A photo of any insect with GPS coordinates and date is valuable. The community on iNaturalist will help with identification.

🌿 Add an observation — iNaturalist 📱 Seek app — identify in the field

Project area: search "La Saladita" or "Guerrero coast" in iNaturalist to find nearby observations and existing projects.

Species with fewer than 10 records in this dataset should be considered sparse-data — useful as presence records but insufficient for seasonal inference.

Methodology & sources

iNaturalist: Observations API v1, taxon_id=47158 (class Insecta), 25 km radius from La Saladita (17.5897°N, -101.4317°W), quality_grade=research+needs_id, years 2000–2025. 1,623 records retrieved.
GBIF: Occurrence Search API v1, taxonKey=216 (class Insecta), bounding box derived from 25 km radius, hasCoordinate=true, years 2000–2025. 3,727 records retrieved.
Overlap note: iNaturalist observations are a primary GBIF contributor. Source counts overlap; combined total (5,350) is a proxy pull count, not a deduplicated sum. Counts are treated as independent queries from each API.
Species count: 1,514+ distinct scientific names resolved across both sources. Counts include binomials only; unresolved/class-level records excluded.
Notable groups: Lepidoptera, Odonata, Coleoptera filtered by order field in GBIF and ancestor taxa in iNaturalist. Counts reflect the group-order records retrieved; many additional species from these orders are likely present but unrecorded.
Monthly distribution: Records with valid month field only. Records without a month field (a minority) are counted in n_observations but excluded from monthly totals.
Coverage caveat: This region is under-surveyed relative to better-documented areas. Absence from the dataset should not be interpreted as species absence. The data is an artifact of observation effort, not comprehensive biodiversity assessment.
Live recent sightings: iNaturalist observations API, 30-day rolling window, same radius. Cached 12 hours.

Data last refreshed: —

Insects of La Saladita
Butterflies, Beetles & Dragonflies.