Bugs Dragonfly Thread

[grebeman]

Luke, camera Panasonic G6, lens Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro with a four thirds mount, Panasonic DMW-MA1 four thirds/micro four thirds adapter and Olympus 1.4 x Teleconverter EC-14, making the Sigma lens equivalent to 294mm in 35mm terms. That outfit is tripod mounted. I use manual focus. I tend to take an initial photograph using peak focusing just to get something, then when the insect co-operates by staying put I will use the focus magnification facility to fine tune my manual focus. The shot you refer to was obtained with the focus magnification method. The aperture setting was f/11, but given the tele converter I'm not sure if that is a "true" f/11. Some minor cropping has been done to the photograph, basically a third frond of bracken has been cropped from the right hand side, so initially the photograph was 2.5 damselfly lengths wide, there's a new unit of measurement!

I have just fitted part of an old flash bracket extender bar to the G6 with a quick release platform to connect to the tripod some way along the bar just short of being under the focus ring, which makes for a reasonably well balanced outfit.

Barrie

 

[Nuskyn]

?? not very common in the Netherlands...

 

[BillN]

Female Copper Demoiselle - (Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis)

Just tried my first video - taken with the Nikon V1

must try to figure out how to do this stuff

<object width="420" height="315">


<embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/SB-rGR5mNss?version=3&hl=en_GB&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></object>

 

[BillN]

?? not very common in the Netherlands...

Hi Jeroen, could be a male Scarlet Darter, (Crocothemis erythraea) - see below

 

[BillN]

Violet Dropwings and Scarlet Darter

SW France this morning


Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata)

Violet Dropwing (Trithemis annulata)

Broad Scarlet (Scarlet Darter) Crocothemis erythraea

and a Small Red Damselfly, (Ceriagrion tenellum)

 

[BillN]

Blue Featherleg or White-legged Damselfly, (Platycnemis pennies)

 

[grebeman]

Two new species for me today!

Having put in a lot of effort for small reward over the last few days, today I've seen two new species for me, one I've been hoping for and one was unexpected.

140702-1010483 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr

Immature male Black Darter Sympetrum danae, he'll get blacker over the next few days

Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa, a female I would suggest and sadly very much a "must do better" shot I'm afraid.

Barrie

 

[BillN]

Emperor Dragonfly, (Anax imperator) - female - from this afternoon
Nikon V1 again

 

[grebeman]

Barrie, what kit did you use to capture the female Large Red in the post above. That one is stunning.

Luke, I don't know if you saw my reply to your query, I failed to link it by quoting you, but it's post #81 at the top of page 9

 

[grebeman]

Yet another good day on Dartmoor

I tried a different area today, following a small stream up Deancombe until my eye was taken with what must have been a spring fed area of damp sphagnum moss, rushes and Marsh St John's Wort. I'd been there several minutes when my eye was caught by a glint low down in some rushes. There was a newly emerged female Keeled Skimmer. Shortly after I found a second.

140703-1010503 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr
The wings are well expanded, but the body is yet to be inflated. The exuvia can be seen to the left.

140703-1010506 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr
Still much at the stage shown in the first shot.

140703-1010514 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr
Now the abdomen has been expanded.

140703-1010528 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr
Finally the wings are flicked open, the maiden flight is imminent. It's taken about 2.5 hours to reach this stage from the stage shown in the first photograph.

Note how the head, eyes and thorax slowly attain some colour as emergence progresses.


Barrie

 

[Luke]

Luke, I don't know if you saw my reply to your query, I failed to link it by quoting you, but it's post #81 at the top of page 9

Sorry I had missed it earlier. I just saw it today. That Sigma 105mm macro was my weapon of choice when I was shooting with DSLR briefly. I can't imagine shooting these guys using manual focus, although there are definitely long periods of calmness. That shot is really stunning (to me).....and now I think even moreso with your technique. Bravo!

 

[grebeman]

Sorry I had missed it earlier. I just saw it today. That Sigma 105mm macro was my weapon of choice when I was shooting with DSLR briefly. I can't imagine shooting these guys using manual focus, although there are definitely long periods of calmness. That shot is really stunning (to me).....and now I think even moreso with your technique. Bravo!

No problems, I should have quoted you, then it would have caught your attention. Thanks for your kind words, much appreciated.

Barrie

 

[grebeman]

A better result today

Last weeks effort to photograph an Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa was second rate to say the least. Hopefully you'll agree that todays results are somewhat better.

140707-1010547 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr
female

140707-1010565 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr
male

140707-1010570 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr
female


Barrie

 

[grebeman]

Still waiting

The male Black Darters Sympetrum danae have still yet to fully mature, come on guys!

140707-1010576 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr
immature male

140707-1010569 by barrie.whitehall, on Flickr
mature female


Barrie

 

[BillN]

newly emerged Keeled Skimmer, female - (Orthetrum coerulescens)

Windy day

 

[BillN]

Mature male Keeled Skimmer - (Orthetrum coerulescens)

 

[BillN]

 

[grebeman]

very small pond in the garden in the UK, (my daughter's flat in Winchester)

not sure what it is
Looks like a female Blue-eyed Hawker, (Aeshna affinis), to me - but looking at the book, this would be the limit of it's distribution and really should not be this far north
But the Blue Hawker is a better bet, (Aeshna cyanea), as it is supposed to be in the UK

Bill, your book has some strange English common names. It would be just too incredible for it to be Aeshna affinis, as far as I can see there's one record from Kent in 1952! and there are significant differences between that species and your photographs.

Just what is a Blue Hawker? I've never heard that English name used for anything. Judging by the 5th photograph that's a Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanea[/I ] (see my post 39 for a comparison, a male, yours is a female), a regular breeder in small garden ponds, particularly if they're in a setting that replicates a woodland clearing.

Barrie

 

[BillN]

I always mention the Latin name Barrie and you have repeated my ID as though I had not IDed it and then come up with your ID which is the same as mine, not sure what you mean by that

you have even repeated what I said about habitat ……… Oh I see my last edit was at 11:32 and your posting at 11:34

The Southern Hawker is also known as The Blue Hawker …… maybe not in deepest Dorset or Devon as news does take some time to get down there ……. but as it was first recorded in 1764 I would have thought that the message would have reached the South West by now.

lots of references on the web - Dijkstra in particular but also

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

 

[grebeman]

Bill,

I've got several reference sources to Dragonflies, not a single one mentions the English name Blue Hawker, neither does the British Dragonfly Society.

Barrie