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Eristalis tenax


Eristalis tenax
Photo Information
Copyright: Alan Turvey (liquidsunshine) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2047 W: 113 N: 3421] (11488)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-06-08
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon EOS 300 D, Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro, Hoya 58mm skylight
Exposure: f/11, 1/125 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Flies - Moscas - Mouches, Going to the toilet [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-06-08 17:46
Viewed: 1262
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is a drone fly leaving a little gift.
It's been another good evening. so very warm and pleasant. The sky has been filled with hot air balloons and bees busy buzzing about. And to top off a good evening, a drone fly comes for a crap in my garden!!

Drone Fly
Eristalis tenax

Description 5/8" (16 mm). Stout, resembling Honey Bee but no waist between thorax and abdomen. Dark brown to blackish. Thorax and 1st abdominal segment have short brownish-yellow hair; 2nd abdominal segment has 2 yellow blotches on sides, which do not meet in the middle; 3rd segment has narrow yellow band. Wings clear or slightly blotched with brown, held apart, slightly raised at rest. Movements mimic Honey Bee.

Food Adult feeds on nectar and pollen. Larva scavenges organic matter.

Life Cycle Sticky, elongate white eggs are laid in groups of 20 or more in crevices near foul-smelling stagnant water. Aquatic larvae breathe through exceptionally long snorkel-like tubes at tip of abdomens. Fully grown larvae creep to soil and pupate for 8-10 days. Adults appear in late June but disappear in cool weather.

Habitat Meadows and fields, on flowers, particularly daisies and other composites.

Discussion Larvae, called rat-tailed maggots, are usually found in wet carrion and in open latrines. They are responsible for numerous cases of intestinal myiasis in people. Adult flies sometimes emerge from carrion, a phenomenon that was probably the basis for the myth that Honey Bees develop in dead mammals, as told in the Biblical story of Samson and the lion, and in writings of Ovid, Virgil, and Solomon. The adults so closely resemble Honey Bees that people and insectivorous animals avoid them; nevertheless the robber fly known as the Bee Assassin catches Drone Flies as readily as it does Honey Bees.

Notes from www.enature.com

Thanks for looking
Runnerduck, sAner, AndyB, dew77, TAZ, red45, Signal-Womb, coasties, PDP, marhowie, Comandante, annagrace has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To PDP: Packageliquidsunshine 1 06-13 18:12
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Critiques [Translate]

Ha! Very cool, I like this shot. There's nothing quite like a fly crapping in your garden at the end of the day.
Great macro, perfect detail and sharpness. The wings are amazing.
Thanks for posting

  • Great 
  • AndyB Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1592 W: 32 N: 1361] (3978)
  • [2005-06-09 3:11]

Hello Alan,
Very well captured :-))
Excellent sharp detail and great DOF.
Very good composition with the fly on the diagonal.
Great one,well done.

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2005-06-09 3:52]

Hello Pieter!
Wonderful capture.Colors,lighting,details and composition are excellent.TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2830 W: 75 N: 8025] (26863)
  • [2005-06-09 4:41]

Very fat hoverfly Alan ;-) I always like shinning surfaces in macro shots like wings and pieces of chitin. Great details, DOF and sharpness. Little yellow gift looks... interesting ;-)

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1654 W: 79 N: 1456] (4742)
  • [2005-06-09 6:09]

Hey Alan,

A very good macro. Details are razorsharp; I always like the wings in such macros as they appear to be made of plastic. The structure of the leaf is also fantastic (great DOF) and the extra bonus the fly is leaving is great. ;) Compositionwise I would have probably left some more space on the right, but I am not 100% sure about that. Anyway, a great post. Keep 'em coming and TFS!

Regards,
Pieter

Another dirty pic from you Alan, excellent POV and sharpness, very well done.

Great macro, Alan.
Sure that isn't a shit-fly.;-)
Well composed, nice colours and very good details.
Very well done.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2306 W: 324 N: 4306] (16856)
  • [2005-06-09 19:23]

Alan, another very nice macro.

Excellent sharpness, lighting and colors.

The contrast is great too, as well as the shadow.

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2385 W: 50 N: 3184] (10918)
  • [2005-06-10 3:31]

Belle Eristale bien mise en valeur dans cette composition macro-photographique. Jolies couleurs, bon point de vue et bonne netteté.
Beautiful insect in an interesting & well done macro-shot !

Wow, you realy are mastering these macros. Impressive. Awesome clear sharp details. Well done. Thanks

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2964 W: 366 N: 3848] (11755)
  • [2005-06-10 8:06]
  • [+]

Hello Alan, nice shot and the ID is good too. Did you see it leave that package? I've not seen that before. Good details and light, thanks for sharing.

Nice work Alan, You've got great details and sharpness here..You've captured the glassy transparent sheen of the wings nicely. Well done!

Hello Alan!
Wonderful macro.Colors,details,lighting and framing are perfect.Thanks for sharing.

Wow, Alan, I could see that little piece of yellow crap on the thumbnail! Charming photo you have there. Really, the detail is amazing and now I know that bugs have yellow poop; you learn something new every day!!

Cheers,
Alli

hello:) I am too slow :D bees are faster:) much faster :D I wanted to take some photos today but....:((( I like it much.Excellent detail, colours, sharpness and composition. Good BG and great POV. Thanks for posting, Have a good weekend.

rgs

Malgosia

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