Four-spotted Chaser
Libellula quadrimaculata
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Count the dark spots — two on each wing, halfway along the leading edge.
A sturdy, broad-bodied brown dragonfly, named for the dark spot at the midpoint of the leading edge of each of its four wings, in addition to the dark patches at the wing bases. Both sexes look similar, unusually for a dragonfly. Four-spotted chasers favour well-vegetated ponds, bog pools and lochans, and are common on the mosses and peatland waters of the region.
Behaviour
Males perch conspicuously on emergent stems and make fast, aggressive sorties at anything entering their patch of water, returning to the same perch. The species is notable for occasional mass migrations on the continent, when enormous swarms move across Europe. Larvae are hairy, well camouflaged in silt, and take two years to develop in cool northern water.
When to see it
Quick facts
- Family
- Skimmers and chasers (Libellulidae)
- Size
- Body 39–48 mm
- Status
- Native; common on peatland and vegetated still water
Photo by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons