Insects · La Saladita, Guerrero

Spot-winged Glider

Pantala hymenaea

Spanish: Libélula planeadora manchada

Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea)
Photographed by daniel_brito on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

Pantala hymenaea is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae. It is a migratory species and is native to North, Central and South America, travelling widely and breeding in temporary water bodies. It looks very similar to the wandering glider, with the addition of a dark basal spot on the hindwing. It is a common species with a very large range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as being of "least concern". Most often recorded in Jul.

TaxonomyInsecta › Odonata › Libellulidae
Local records2 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records8,234 on iNaturalist
Recorded here2017 – 2022
Months recorded near La Saladita
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Insects guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Spot-winged Glider (Pantala hymenaea) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/pantala-hymenaea/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.