# Four-spotted chaser (*Libellula quadrimaculata*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/four-spotted-chaser  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata) is an insect in the Dragonflies and damselflies subgroup, belonging to the family Libellulidae in the order Odonata. It is placed in the suborder Anisoptera and the superfamily Libelluloidea, within the class Insecta and the phylum Arthropoda. The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern in its global assessment, which is not an IUCN threatened category. Checklists record it in Canada and the United States.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 4 cm – 4.8 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Invertivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | freshwater, riverine, wetland |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| Generations a year | One |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | 2 countries |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Odonata
- family: Libellulidae
- genus: Libellula
- species: *Libellula quadrimaculata* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Leptetrum quadrimaculatum*, *Leptetrum quadrimaculatum praenubilum*, *Libellula basilinea*, *Libellula contacta*, *Libellula flavescens*, *Libellula maculata*, *Libellula praenubila*, *Libellula quadrimaculata subsp. asahinai*, *Libellula quadrimaculata subsp. grigorievi*, *Libellula quadrimaculata subsp. orientalis*, *Libellula quadripunctata*, *Libellula relicta*, *Libellula ternaria*

## Countries on record

Countries where Catalogue of Life checklists list the species. Many checklists carry no country data, so the list is often incomplete. It is not a range map.

Canada, United States

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the four-spotted chaser?

The four-spotted chaser is an insect in the Dragonflies and damselflies subgroup. It belongs to the family Libellulidae and the suborder Anisoptera.

### What is the scientific name of the four-spotted chaser?

Its scientific name is Libellula quadrimaculata, placing it in the genus Libellula.

### Who named Libellula quadrimaculata and when?

The species was named by Linnaeus, 1758.

### Is the four-spotted chaser endangered?

No. It is rated Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in its global assessment, which is not an IUCN threatened category.

### Which countries is the four-spotted chaser recorded in?

Checklists record it in Canada and the United States.

### What other names does the four-spotted chaser have?

It is also called the Four-spot skimmer, Four spotted chaser, Four-spotted skimmer, Four-spot pond skimmer and Four-spotted Libellula.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Four-spotted chaser (Libellula quadrimaculata). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/four-spotted-chaser