Macromia illinoiensis is a common species that should be found throughout Alabama and Mississippi. Most individuals from both states are of the subspecies M. i. georgina, which has more extensive yellow markings than the more northern subspecies M. i. illinoiensis, which barely reaches extreme northwest Alabama and northeast Mississippi; intergrades between the two subspecies have also been found in this area. The breeding habitat includes small to large streams and rivers; adults are often found away from the water in forested openings.