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Hoverfly in a Dog Rose


Hoverfly in a Dog Rose
Photo Information
Copyright: Gert Ellstrom (ellis49) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3645 W: 349 N: 8888] (28673)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-09-13
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon 30D, Sigma 180 Macro Ex H, Digital RAW 200, 1.4 X converter
Exposure: f/13.0, 1/200 seconds
Details: Tripod: Yes
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-09-14 8:29
Viewed: 1000
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 56
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Today’s post is a small but beautiful hoverfly, they are quite hard to ID since we have no good books over about our 350 species but one will soon come.
I have some notes about hoverfly that Paul (PDP) sent me for a couple of years ago, so I think this is Helophilus pendulus and it have a Swedish name too, Allmän kärrblomfluga. It’s the most common hoverfly in Sweden.
I found this in a dog rose when she was in desperation looking for pollen, but both the rose and the hoverfly are in overtime for the season.
Click here for the big version


Like other members of the genus Helophilus it has black and yellow longitudinal stripes on the upper surface of its thorax. The abdomen is patterned with yellow, black and grey. It has a black central face-stripe. It has a wing-length of 8.5 - 11.25 mm.
The second and third tergites are yellow patterned with black. The black pattern consists of a band across the front of the tergite (in its central part only, not extending to the tergite's edge), and stripe down the centre of the tergite, and a black band across the full width of the rear of the tergite. At the very rear of these tergites there is usually a very narrow yellow rim. This rim is usually slightly thicker on the third tergite, where it is also more obvious as the front of tergite four is wholly black, thus enhancing the contrast of the feature. Several other Helophilus species have this rim, but Helophilus trivittatus does not. Due to the black pattern described above, the main yellow areas on tergites two and three are at the sides of the insect, but they are fairly prominent due to their large size, and their bright colour. The yellow here is usually a bright, slightly orangey yellow (unlike the paler lemon yellow of trivittatus). Tergite four is largely black, with isolated dull yellow crescentic markings on each side. Females have yellow hairs on the hind part of tergite five, unlike H. hybridus females, in which these hairs are black. Male hybridus appear quite different from male pendulus as the black band on the rear of tergite two does not extend to the edge in that species.
The legs possess patterning which differ from the other species in the genus. First, the hind tibia of pendulus has at least the basal half (usually all except the distal third) pale yellow, whereas other species, such as H. hybridus and H. groenlandicus have pale yellow only on the basal third or less. The middle tibia of pendulus is wholly pale, unlike H. groenlandicus, on which it has a dark apex. The mid-tarsi have extensive dark markings on at least their distal segments, unlike trivittatus which usually has wholly pale mid-tarsi.

Have a nice weekend

Sigma 180mm macro + Soligor 300 PRO DG 1.4x converter
ISO 200, Raw-format, AV-mode. Tripod.
Levels, Contrast, Crop, S/H-filter. resized to 800 pixels, Smart Sharpen PP in PS CS3
Patleboss, Tamrock, earthtraveler, uleko, matthew, jrobertop, mirceax, CeltickRanger, jcoowanitwong, haraprasan, cataclysta, fartash, mickey, jmirah, kessi has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Very beautiful one, Gert.
Especially colors, compo, sharpness, light....
TFS
Annick

Hi Gert,
An outstanding beautiful picture! Amasing details and sharpness. Great colours and DOF.
Thanks for sharing,

Claude

Hello Gert, very beautifull close-up of this Helophilus pendulus, colors and sharpness are excellent, perfect focus with many detail on teh insect and on the flower, very good deepht of field,
very well done,
friendly,
Pat

hej gert!
diving in the macromarsh:)
really sharp and fine macro
with a very nice colourexplosion!
good work!

Hi Gert,
Fine close up of the fly at work
Beautiful detailed color
TFS
Richard

  • Great 
  • lise Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 179 W: 52 N: 531] (2593)
  • [2007-09-14 9:18]

hi Gert,
Amazing! Spectacular colors!
Great sharpness and composition.
TFS
Lise

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2375 W: 164 N: 7131] (22536)
  • [2007-09-14 9:26]

Hej Gert,
I think Helophilus has been very common this year compared to previous. I think it's the most attractive of hoverflies here. This one eally having a fiest. Excellent sharp details and natural colours in this fine composition.
TFS and regards, Ulla

hi gert
excellent macro shot such loveley colours sharpness and composition is good TFS

mat

hello gert,
what a fine macro shot, liked the burst of colours here, lovely composition, excellent sharpness with good details,
well done,
tfs & regards
pankaj

Hi Gert,

Excellent shot
sharpness, colours, compo and DOF are Perfect
details are very fine

TFS Thijs

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1109 W: 59 N: 2247] (7449)
  • [2007-09-14 12:39]

Hello Gert,
Extreme clear colours and sharpness. Fantastic details. Very good DOF and composition.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1898 W: 4 N: 5163] (19674)
  • [2007-09-14 12:44]

Hi Gert. This is an excellent close up of the hoverfly. the sharp focusing showing all the markings so well. rich colours. with a nice posein the flower head. well done TFS.good notes too.
Nick..

Have a good weekend.

Hi Gert,
Splendid shot! Perfect composition!
Excellent colors and very good sharpness.
Congratulations for the wealth of details.
Well done!
Best regards,
José Roberto

Hi Gert,
Amazing colours in this shot, the details are super too.
tfs

Mircea

hello Gert

Very beautifull macro-photo
with wonderfull light colors
and excellent details

TFS

Asbed

Great macro Gert.
The colurs and textures are beautiful and details are very clear.
Perfect exposure and good composition.
Nice work.
TFS
Steve

Hi Gert,
This is beautiful. Great camera settings and well composed. Perfect timing to capture this lovely moment. Very well done and tfs.
JC

Hi Gert,
An excellent closeup of this tiny hoverfly. Very nice details and the composition with the beautiful flower looks magnificent. Thanks a lot for sharing.

bonjour gert
les details sur cette image sont vraiment tres pointus,les couleurs vives.
a sa taille les etamines ressemblent pour cette mouche a des arbres!
bravo.
laurent

Hi Gert
Hidden in pink and yellow universe. Very nice unusual POV, perfect sharpness and nice moment. I like it very much. As always great shot
Best wishes
Krzysztof

Hello Gert
What a great shot of this Hoverfly,
Perfect details,DOF and lighting,
Superb shot,Welldone.

Good Luck
Fartash

  • Great 
  • batu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 988 W: 282 N: 3228] (10674)
  • [2007-09-15 5:09]

Hello Gert,
a nice colour composition with the hoverfly in the anther jungle. Exact focus to show the body surface details of the insect but also of some parts of the flower. Depth of field is just rigth to leave the insect stand out in this entanglement of plant structures.
Best wishes, Peter

Hello
The pic is very good.But the thing that is coming in between is hiding the eye.
Vignesh

Hi Gert,
Excellent capture of the colorful insect. Great setail and composition. Well done. Thanks for sharing.

Best regards,
Jim

Hi Gert,
Excellent colors and use of ambient light with perfect exposure.
Very good details, DOF, sharpness, and composition..And BIGGER IS BETTER ;}
Great work mf!
Howard

  • Great 
  • kessi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 88 W: 5 N: 76] (221)
  • [2007-09-21 2:09]

Hi Gert,
Excellent clear picture. I love the way you caught the hoverfly nestling in amongst the stamens looking for sustenance. The placement of the fly is perfect and the colours make quite an impression. Interesting species.

kessi

Hi Gert,
this shot is full of summer-feelings, I can smell the sweetness of the rose and this hoverfly is so pretty and we can see every single hair on her body. Fantastic work, thanks
Sabine - wishnugaruda

Fabulosa por los colores, enfoque, profundidad, iluminación .... el único pero es el ojo que quedó tapado, pero sin duda una gran fotografía.

Buena semana Gert.

  •      
  • gerhardt Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2225 W: 268 N: 4166] (11529)
  • [2007-11-07 6:17]

I am still fascinated by your macro work, MF. Every single one is just perfect. Love the colors and details. I trust you are keeping well?

Take care... :)

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