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Deadly snack


Deadly snack
Photo Information
Copyright: Monika MvJ (thistle) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1317 W: 77 N: 3012] (9272)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-04-18
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon Coolpix 4200, Nikkor ED 38-114 F/2.8-4.8
Exposure: f/4.8, 1/272 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-04-20 4:48
Viewed: 892
Points: 54
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) feeding on one of the most deadly plants growing in Poland.

This is Daphne mezereum known in my country as Wolf Laurel.

It is a small shrub with soft leaves arranged spirally on the stems. The flowers are produced in early spring on the bare stems before the leaves appear. They are usually pink or light purple and have very nice, strong scent. This plant has also very attractive bright red berries, but you must be very careful. They are poisonous for people. Fruit-eating birds however are immune and eat them, dispersing the seeds in their droppings.

Whole plant is very toxic because of the substance called Daphnetoxin. It is present especially in the berries and twigs, but it can be found even in the scent.
I don't really know if nectar contains it too, but it seems it is safe for butteflies to drink. It seems to be very tasty as well because flowers are often visited by them.

The plant however is surely not safe for people.

Deadly dose for a grown up men is 10-12 berries and for child even 1-2 berries can be very dangerous. If poisoned, victims experience a choking sensation. Even handling the fresh twigs can cause rashes and eczema in sensitive individuals.

But despite all this, Daphne mezereum is commonly grown as an ornamental plant in gardens for its attractive flowers. I'm not sure I would ever want to have it in my garden.

dew77, coasties, pvs, aido, jeanpaul, Matt-Bird, red45, wkshelton, sandpiper2, firelord, valy67, goutham_ramesh, Signal-Womb, PDP, liquidsunshine, ALIRIZA, Wahclellaspirit, phlr, peter_stoeckl, Janice, loot, eruyanik, Luc has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To aido: Nectarthistle 1 04-20 08:33
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4774 W: 294 N: 4020] (13209)
  • [2006-04-20 5:07]

Hello Monika!
Very nice close up.Details,sharpness,POV,lighting,framing
and composition are wonderful.TFS...:-)

Good detail and sharpness. Interesting note. Well done indeed.

Hi Monika

Wonderful shot. Good light, colour, POV and composition. Technically great too. Well done! :-)

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1168 W: 261 N: 3035] (13835)
  • [2006-04-20 5:35]

Hi monika,

Very nice composed shot,sharp,detailed,good BG and the note as well.
I saw the first one flying around here as well but was running around with my bigma

regards,
Paul

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 1044 W: 156 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2006-04-20 5:53]
  • [+]

Hi Monika,
A lovely shot but after reading your note I have to ask, will the Butterfly die after feeding from this plant?

Excellent detail and colours and I like the POV using the brown as the background, it provides a great contrast. Excellent work as always :-)
Cheers,
Adrian

Salut Monika
Magnifique photo que ce joli papillon.J'aime beaucouo tous ces détails sur les ailes du papillon
Belle présentation et beau BG
Merci et au revoir....JP

Hi Monika, nice photo.
I like the POV of the butterfly upside down. Good colours of the butterfly against the black back ground.
Regards
Matt.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2006-04-20 7:21]

Hi Monika!
Delicious note :-) As you know I love poisonous beings ;-) I know this plant very well - it grows in forest in The Garden where I used to photograph small flowers. Your picture is very good, of course Brimstone looks fantastic, but for me Wolf Laurel is far more interesting :-)

Hi Monike, Excellent Macro, Perfect colors, great POV, DOF, BG, perefct sharpness, everything so crisp. Excellent work. TFS Kyle

Excellent capture, well composed and nicely exposed to catch all the details.
Great note, I won't be planting them in my garden.

Beautiful close-up of this butterfly ! I love the bright colors and the composition. Good sharpness and details, particularly on the wings, and also a nice BG. Well done !
Valérie.

Hi Monika,
Super capture with a BG which isolates the subject! The picture is crisp, sharp and well executed
No Nits :-)
TFS
Goutham R

Great capture with very good sharpness and great BG to set it of. I always feel you pay as much attention to your backgrounds as to your subject which is a good thing. Very nice work Monika, well done.

Hi Monika,
a beautiful brimstone, I love this butterflies so much. Excellent sharpness as usual and I like the pose hanging on this flower.
Thanks for sharing, hope to see them in nature again soon, bye
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2006-04-20 16:31]

Hi Monika, good shot. I like the pose and it's a very informative note. Good work, well done.

Perfect capture Monika,
Good detail, colours and sharpness. exposure and lighting are good. Good POV, notes and framing.

Thanks for posting, enjoy the rest of the week my friend ;)

Hi Monika,
Colorful shot.Excellent macro. Point of view, details, framing and colors are very well. Congratulations...
Ali Rıza

  • Great 
  • hekcik Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 331 W: 15 N: 305] (1825)
  • [2006-04-20 19:11]

Witaj Moniko,

Bardzo ładnie ustrzelone,
tradycyjnie wszystko jak należy ;)

TFS :-)
Norbert

Hello Monika,
Very good detail and depth in the photo. The note is exceptional...
Steve

Hello Monika,
wonderful capture of a special butterfly on a very special plant.
Never had the chance to see a butterfly sucking at Daphne mezereum!
Technically perfect contribution, and very pretty to look at.
Thank you! Best regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • phlr Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1241 W: 129 N: 881] (2814)
  • [2006-04-21 4:39]

Very beautiful photo of this Pieridae!
Very good POV!
Beautiful on colours!
Excellent on details, sharpness and DOF!
5* and TFS!

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3315 W: 148 N: 6113] (18648)
  • [2006-04-21 6:40]

Monika, your Brimstone is so nice and sharp on the deadly Daphne flower. Super colours and sharpness, and the plant is very interesting. Very good composition, thank you,
Janice
We grow Daphne Odora (spurge Laurel)here but it can't be the same - it has a wonderful perfume and the book doesn't say it is poisonous. .

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5451 W: 594 N: 3649] (10029)
  • [2006-04-21 15:23]

Hi Monika
Excellent capture of a beautiful butterfly with great notes to accompany it and as a bonus the lovely flowers of this deadly plant.
I really like the composition with the angled twig leaning into the frame and the insect hanging into the photo. The colours are stunning and the DOF is great with superb details. Exposure was also brilliantly handled.
Very well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

Hey Monika,
How I've missed this one. This is a great shot as usual for you, but you know your notes are fascinating me! Keep on going Monika!
Ersin

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 755 W: 31 N: 20] (5032)
  • [2006-04-22 3:24]

Witaj,
proszê, ju¿ pokaza³y siê cytrynki. Bdb jako¶æ, fajne kolory i ostro¶æ. Dobra robota.
Pozdr. Al.

  • Great 
  • osse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 962 W: 0 N: 89] (7801)
  • [2006-04-22 18:24]

Hi Monika!
Good close-up shot. Great details and sharpnes. Nice backgraound and colours.
Well done

osse

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2006-04-24 15:27]

Hi Monika,

Well done on this capture and composition. Beautiful work.

Mike

Hi Monika, great close up!!
The composition are perfect, also the colours, details and framing.
Maurizio

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