The Four-spotted Chaser may also be known as Four-Spot Dragonfly. The mature male will have less white spots than the female. That description that describes the 12-Spot Skimmer also applies to the Four-spotted, except for wing and tail markings, i.e., one description fits all. The body is long and slender; usually brown or black and often with bright markings. The wings are basically transparent and held straight out from the body when at rest. The hindwing is wider at the base than the forewing.

The preferred habitat of the Four-spotted Chaser is marshes, fields near lakes, streams and ponds. The nymphs are hatched under water and are ready for flight when they emerge to the water's surface. 

The Four-spotted Chaser is the state insect of Alaska.