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Anax imperator (male)


Anax imperator (male)
Photo Information
Copyright: Stavros Markopoulos (markop) Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 17 W: 0 N: 27] (111)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-08-20
Exposure: f/4.9, 1/800 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-12-15 6:29
Viewed: 1159
Points: 12
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Emperor Dragonfly (Anax imperator) male.

kingdom: Animalia
phylum: Arthropoda
subphylum: Hexapoda
class: Insecta
order: Odonata
suborder: Anisoptera
family: Aeshnidae

A male Emperor Dragonfly perched over a pond near the village of Fodele, on the island of Crete, in Greece. Anax imperator is a large and powerful hawker with an average length of 8cm and a wingspan of over 10cm. The word "Anax" is Greek and it means "King", so this genus is considered to be the king of all dragonflies. A.imperator is a widespread species in Europe and prefers relatively still waters, like ponds or slow rivers. Males are very territorial and will fiercely defend their territory (in this case the pond) against other males of the same species. They are usually restless and fly constantly over the pond. This was the only case I happened on a male of this species perched and I immediately grabbed the opportunity to photo him!

I have also captured a female of the same species ovipositing at the same pond, a year before. For all I know, she could be this one's mother :-)
Argus, horia, undoredo, cicindela has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To undoredo: you're right!markop 1 12-16 09:23
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3795 W: 190 N: 11286] (34807)
  • [2006-12-15 7:05]

Hello Stavros,
This is a real goodie!
The central placing of the Emperor works well here owing to the angled reed stem. The lighting, sharpness with DOF and BG are first class.
TFS, best wishes, Ivan

  • Great 
  • Libor Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 176 W: 1 N: 25] (1101)
  • [2006-12-15 7:32]

Hi Stavros
great macro shot !
Good details and colors
TFS Libor

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2169 W: 218 N: 4381] (14896)
  • [2006-12-15 10:19]

Hello again, Stavros

I was waiting for this picture from you for some time :) I checked the link from your previous picture's note (the link with some more photos from you) and this one attracted my eyes. It's simply gorgeous!!!
It has great sharpness, an excellent POV that also gave you that impecable blue sky for a BG, the composition is brilliant and the colors are charming.
Great post of this impressive "king" dragonfly!

Bravo and TFS
Horia

Good capture against the sky, Stavros.
TFS and bye.

Hello Stavros,
Very nice shot you've taken!!
Nice details and clean BG, Well done.
(FYI, I think you know this species is a male. you wrote wrong. And I've been looking at your wonderful photos from Flickr. One of your photo which is named, The sky is the limit, is the photo of an immature male, not a female. You need to look into their abdomen more specifically. )
Regards and TFS,
Kevin

Hello Stavros!
This is really an interesting picture! It is really very rare to se (and to photograph!!) Anax imperator during "a break". This dragonfly is flying almost all the time :)
Best regards,
Radomir

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