Four-spotted Chaser
The four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) is a golden-brown dragonfly with dark spots at the middle of each wing. It is found across the Northern Hemisphere and is the state insect of Alaska, where it is called the four-spot skimmer.
The four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) is a golden-brown dragonfly with dark spots at the middle of each wing. It is found across the Northern Hemisphere and is the state insect of Alaska, where it is called the four-spot skimmer.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Four-spotted Chaser in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Ecdysozoa lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Swarms on the Move
Adults sometimes gather in huge swarms and migrate together. Swarms have been seen in Europe and Asia in the millions, perhaps triggered by crowding after a good breeding season.
Territorial Males
Males perch at the edge of ponds and bogs, defending a spot against rivals and chasing females. The larvae live in the weedy water of peat bogs and small lakes.
A Holarctic Species
The species lives from the Arctic to southern Europe, showing the wide tolerance of some dragonflies. See Emperor Dragonfly.
Four-spotted Chaser at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Libellula quadrimaculata |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Arthropoda |
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Odonata |
| Family | Libellulidae |
| Field Guide group | Ecdysozoa: Hexapoda (Insects) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Stocky brown body; each of its four wings has a dark spot at the midpoint of the leading edge; darts out from perches to catch prey. |
| Order | Odonata |
| Distribution | Holarctic |