As far as I am aware the Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva has been breeding on the Isle of Wight for less than ten years. The preferred habitat is water meadows with slow flowing waterways and sometimes mature ponds as well as fishing lakes with dense marginal vegetation. Any small open stretches are favoured by the males in order to perch on the emergent plants.
A common chaser here is the Broad-bodied Chaser. The first adults are seen in April when as immature, the males have the same colouring as females. As they mature males take on a blue abdomen whereas the females remain yellowish-brown. However some very mature females may develop limited pruinosity
The third chaser is of course the Four-spotted Chaser. Although never common on the Island it has made a resurgence recently. Once mainly found close to Brading Marsh it seems to have spread far and wide and can be encountered in a variety of habitats. A male even turned up at my garden pond some time ago.
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