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Fox in the chicken pen


Fox in the chicken pen
Photo Information
Copyright: Dietrich Meyer (meyerd) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 386 W: 63 N: 1139] (3493)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-06-01
Categories: Insects
Camera: Konika Minolta Dynax 7D, Minolta AF 100 Macro
Exposure: f/16, 1/125 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): The predator with the Prey 2 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-06-19 23:40
Viewed: 383
Points: 20
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Well known backyard visitors:

The beetle is the Common soldier beetle (Coleoptera; Cantharidae; Cantharis rustica; Gemeiner Weichkäfer) approaching some of its favored prey, aphids. Of course it also takes flower parts and pollen for a substitute, but the juicy meat...

ID: Since cantharid beetles come in 85 species in my region, it's a headache for ID. The best key I found was Stresemann, et al. 2005. Exkursionsfauna von Deutschland Vol. 2. Insekten. Elsevier. This 14 mm long beetle with a black head, a black spot on the reddish pronotum, black elytrae to the end of the abdomen, regular fine hairs on the elytrae, yellow-black legs and some other characters made it C. rustica, without guarantee.

Technical stuff: I used one of the macro flashes with light dispersers manually to have light on the background and to light the beetle from the side.
zulfu, Argus, marhowie, cicindela has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Very good macro, fantastic sharp detail and DOF on the beetle and aphids.

TFS

Vinny

Hello Dietrich,
This one real good macro image. good composition, colors, great many details. your notes are very useful too. You said these bugs prey on aphids and wish you had got the bug with its prey.TFS.
nagraj.v

  • Great 
  • zulfu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 527 W: 0 N: 95] (583)
  • [2008-06-20 0:45]

Hello Dietrich, perfect predator-prey composition with great details. TFS. Regards,
Mehmet

  • Great 
  • cloud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 109 W: 60 N: 206] (1831)
  • [2008-06-20 1:25]

Hello Dietrich,
Great name of the picture and good macro with superb light.
Regards, Pawel

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2597 W: 133 N: 7441] (23193)
  • [2008-06-20 3:24]

Hello Dieter,
A fine action macro!
The soldier beetle looks almost eager to take the next juicy aphid!
This is another beautiful and technically excellent macro and set in a fine composition.
Thanks for sharing this deligh and have a good mid-summer weekend!
Ivan

Bonjour,
Belle prise de vue avec une belle profondeur de champ.
Bonne journée.
clnaef

Hello Dietrich,
A top class shot, with a great management of light and a perfect sharpness. Excellent title too! TFS,
Catherine

Hi Dietrich,
Great title! I don't know why it is, but everytime you get this many bugs on a stem, it leans to the right ;-}}
Excellent, excellent, you make macro fun.
Howard

That is wonderful, close and clear.

And here we have a very special picture again! A true "fox in the chicken pen" or a "wolf among sheeps" :>
Bravo for excellent documentary picture my Friend!
Regards,
Radomir

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