This handsome dragonfly is common throughout the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. Not only is it common here, but the four-spot has a circumpolar range, meaning that it is found around the northern hemisphere including Europe and Japan, as well as the United States and Canada. In the mid-1990s, Alaska school children nominated and the state legislature declared the four-spotted skimmer the state insect.
The four-spotted is an aggressive hunter of other insects, sometimes even capturing smaller dragonflies.
Watch for Behavior
The four-spotted skimmer usually perches on twigs that provides it with a good view of its surroundings. Watch it tilt its head up and down as it watches nearby flying insects. It will dart from its perch to drive other dragonflies away from its territory or to capture food.
