The Four Spotted Skimmer Dragonfly is a medium-sized dragonfly with a length of up to 4.5 cm. The wings are clear except for a clouding along the leading edge. The center of each wing is marked with a small dark dot, also on the leading edge. Additionally, each hind wing is marked with a dark patch near the base.
Males and females look alike, generally dark brown. The face and each side of the thorax are marked with patches of greenish-yellow, and the sides of the abdomen are lined with yellow-orange dashes.
After mating, the female will lay her eggs by dipping her tail in the water while hovering above.
They fly from early April to mid-August.
This species is found from Alaska south to northern California. It is very common on the coast of BC.
They begin life as medium to large larvae, with a length of up to 2.5 cm. It is orangery brown, and the abdomen is rounded, giving it a short, stocky appearance. There is a small hook on the top of abdominal segments three through eight, while the hooks on segments five through seven are noticeably larger. There is a small, rear-facing spine on each side of abdominal segments eight and nine.
The larvae do particularly well in acidic bogs and live in the debris on the bottom of lakes, ponds, bogs, and marshes. I once watched one chase down a tadpole and kill it with 1 bite, then it hauled it away under a rock to eat, It was quite a scene. Was surprised at how fast it was able to move around. Pretty amazing little creatures, that’s for sure.