Four-Spotted Chaser
(Libellula quadrimaculata)

The Four-Spotted Chaser is called so because of the dark patches on the node of each wing. In a sense, it's a misleading name in that some immature animals (of a form called praenubila) have an additional (and even larger) dark patch near the tip of each wing. In any case, Libellula quadrimaculata is a common and widespread species which occurs throughout Europe (although it's rare in the South-East). It's a fairly large species whose main distinguishing features include the tapering shape of the abdomen, the orange-brown colour of the abdomen with bright-yellow patches laterally (only in mature females does the colour of the abdomen change to a much duller dark brown), the dark patch at the base of the hind wing, and - obviously - the aforementioned dark patches on the wing nodes.

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