Libellula quadrimaculata

The four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata), known in North America as the four-spotted skimmer, is a dragonfly of the family Libellulidae found widely throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. The adult stage is found between April to early September in the United Kingdom, and from mid-May to mid-August in Ireland. Larvae have a two-year developmental cycle. Adults feed predominantly on mosquitoes, gnats, and midges; the larvae feed primarily on other aquatic insect larvae and on tadpoles. There is a variant form, praenubila Newman, which has exaggerated wing spots. This is believed to be related to water temperatures during larval development, and appears to be more common in Europe than in the Americas. The four-spotted skimmer is the state insect of Alaska. This active dragonfly mainly lives by ponds, vernal pools, and slow flowing rivers; they are most common in June and July.