The Four-tipped Darter is a small red dragonfly found across East Asia, including Japan and Korea, and it doesn't occur in the United States. Its best mark is a pair of black spots on the face that look like raised eyebrows. Mature males have a red abdomen, while females usually stay brownish.
Appearance
- Appearance
- About 1.2–1.7 in (30–43 mm) long, a little small for its genus. Young adults of both sexes are yellowish brown. Mature males get a red abdomen and a dark brown thorax, and the tips of their tail appendages curve upward. Females usually stay brownish, and some have brown wing tips.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- ponds
- marshes
- rice paddies
- Range
- East Asia, including Japan, the Korean Peninsula, China, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East. It is not found in the wild in North America.
- Preferred conditions
- In Japan it favors ponds, marshes, and paddies from lowlands to low hills, especially partly shaded spots with trees nearby.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- It has one generation a year and spends the winter as eggs. Pairs stay linked while the female taps her abdomen on water or mud to lay eggs. Sometimes females lay alone.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
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