Four Spotted Chaser Dragonfly - Western Isles - Hebrides Insects

Female Four Spotted Chaser Dragonflies
Females actually have more of an orange colour or honey brown whilst males are mostly dark grey . The tip of the abdomen is black. In size they are 39-48mm

Food
The adult four spotted chaser dragonflies eat eat insects - like gnats and midges. The larvae eat a wide range of aquatic animals including various insect larvae and tadpoles

Behaviour
The Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly is quite often be the first dragonfly that you might see when near a a pond or stream. It can be seen fighting with an aggressive Broad bodied chaser - these dragonfli.es look similar however the four spotted chaser has a more slimmer abdomen.

This dragonfly flies from May to October Its nymph is a 'mudsprawler' that has long legs that allow it to walk over soft mud in ponds and ditches looking for its prey. It has small eyes and long antennae. The larvae climb out of the water on plants and shortly afterwards, the adult is ready to take to the wing. It is two years after the eggs are laid.