The Sooty Saddlebags is a tropical species normally found in central and South America as well as in the Caribbean islands (e.g., Meurgey 2007: Argia 19/3, 11-13). In the United States it is a vagrant with three previous records: Florida (1 record) and Arizona (2 records: Kearny Lake, Nov. 2005: Bailowitz, personal comm.; Roper Lake, Graham Co., Sept. 2009: Bailowitz and Danforth 2009: Argia 24/3, 28).

On 11 October 2009 an immature male of this species was found at Kearny Lake, Pinal Co., AZ - see pictures below. Note similarities and differences with the mature Antillean Saddlebags, Tramea insularis - see http://azdragonfly.org/comparison/antillean-vs-red-vs-striped-vs-sooty-s... for details. This observation documents the fourth record of Sooty Saddlebags for the country and the third for Arizona.