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Blue Dasher Female


Blue Dasher Female
Photo Information
Copyright: Ken Slade (Ken52) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 663 W: 98 N: 1260] (4181)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-06-03
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon 350D (Digital Rebel XT), Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, 58mm circular polarizer
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Dragonflies of the World, 40 - 49 points (Chapter 10), 50-59 points Chapter 7 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-06-06 23:11
Viewed: 516
Points: 57
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is the female Blue Dasher dragongfly. She's perched on the seed heads of Queen Anne's Lace. I took the photo last Sunday afternoon near the hike and bike trail that runs along the lake shore.

Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)

Size: Total length: 28-45 mm; abdomen: 23-35 mm; hindwing: 30-43 mm.

Distribution: Throughout southern Canada and U.S. except Great Basin; also Mexico, Bermuda, Bahamas and Belize.

Identification: This rather distinctive species is found throughout our area. It has a white face and the top of the frons is metallic blue in mature individuals of both sexes. The eyes are brilliant blue or green in males and reddish-brown in females. The front of the thorax is brown with a thin pale carina medially and a wider pale stripe on either side. The sides are pale green with three full-length brown stripes. The wings are typically clear but may be flavescent and have a dark brown stripe on either side of the midbasal space in males. The legs are black and heavily armed. The abdomen is black with a pair of pale yellow stripes dorsally, interrupted on segments 3-8 to appear as dashes. Segment 9 and the caudal appendages are black, while 10 is pale. The abdomen is considerably shorter than in females. Older males develop a pale pruinose blue color dorsally and more slowly laterally on the thorax and over the entire abdomen. Females become pruinose, but much more slowly than males.

Habitat: Ponds, lakes, marshes, ditches, slow streams and other quiet bodies of water.

Discussion: This species is found around nearly any standing body of water where it is often the most common and abundant species. It is known from every county in Arkansas and every parish in Louisiana. As a result it ranks as one of the most well studied dragonflies in North America. The Blue Dasher is often seen perched horizontally on twigs and branches at a variety of heights from just above ground level to tree tops with the wings depressed downward. On warmer days individuals will raise the abdomen in an obelisk position, reducing heat absorbance. They are aggressive predators, regularly taking over 10% of their body weight in prey daily. Adults roost in trees and are occasionally attracted to lights at night. This species will defend favored feeding sites for several days in a row. Breeding territories are established along the shoreline, where males will investigate all intruders, and defend and chase other males out by raising their pruinose blue abdomen. Multiple territories may be established in a single day. Mating takes place while in flight or perched and may last from 1/2 to 2 minutes. The male will guard the female from a nearby perch while she deposits eggs by flying low over the water and repeatedly tapping the abdomen to the surface, but never bobbing the entire body up and down. She may lay 300-700 eggs in only 35 seconds, usually in a heavily vegetated pond margin. Females remain farther back from the water when not laying eggs or mating. The tremendous variation in size within this species is generally correlated with larger individuals during the spring months and progressively smaller ones occurring in the summer and fall. One study found larvae of this species had a strong preference for the leaf axil area of the aquatic plants they were associated with. This provides them protection and makes them less susceptible to fish predation.

Source: http://odonatacentral.bfl.utexas.edu/fieldguide/species.asp?TaxaID=286

Aperture = f5.6
Shutter = 1/400s
ISO = 400
Focal Length = 300mm
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens
ellis49, TAZ, Debz, angybone, GLEM, lawhill, jaycee, jmirah, SkyF, uleko, vanderschelden, phlr, Tamrock, pvb, bobair, horia, julian, rousettus, Alex99 has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Ken,
a nice picture with good details and DOF, the entire DF
is in focus and the BG is OOF.
Nice POV and colours.Well done.

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2385 W: 50 N: 3184] (10918)
  • [2007-06-07 1:43]

Bonjour Ken,
What a pleasant close-up to admire !
The "+++" : smart composition, beautiful subject + nice flowers, pose, POV, colors, sharpness, DOF, smooth background, exposure, instructive note...
The "-" : nothing...
Bravo and thanks for sharing.
Christian

Hi Ken,
that's a wonderful shot, I like the pose of this dragon and you captured it with good sharpness. Thanks and greetings
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • Debz Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 582 W: 0 N: 866] (3283)
  • [2007-06-07 3:50]

Hi Ken, a magnificent shot of this very pretty Dragonfly. Wonderful irridecent colours and tones. I love the POV and position of the wings. The detail is amazing, so sharp and clear. Perfect DOF and a superb composition.
tfs
debz

"You know Dasher and Dancer and Comet and Cupid..." ha ha

The first thing I noticed and liked about this photo is the bend in her waist. NOrmally we have them standing straight out like flags in a wind.
This makes her appear to be leaning over the flower as if she's some little sprite whispering secrets.

The focus is great and the colors are awesome!

P.S. Do you carry your camera on the bike with you? I'm assuming you bike since you mention bike trails quite often.

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 524 W: 87 N: 693] (5739)
  • [2007-06-07 7:58]

hi ken,
another great macro shot, i'm surpising by it position, the body fall.
very good sharpness and light.

gl

Well composed and great sharpness
Good DOF and POVGood pose on the flower and good background

Chris

Hello Ken,
Great close up nice colors, sharp focus, with nice blurry BG TFS regards/Lawhill

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1714 W: 24 N: 4988] (16346)
  • [2007-06-07 9:35]

Hi Ken,
Outstanding shot of this dasher. Very neat and immaculate sharpness. Nice colours, focus and lighting. POV and DOF are excellent as is the resultant BG. I like its unusual pose trying to show-off its strength clutching the flower and those gorgeous eyes. Vey nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1786 W: 8 N: 4638] (14987)
  • [2007-06-07 10:57]

Hi Ken,

You caught this one in a wonderful pose - great body position and he seems to be looking at you. Excellent details from head to toe to wings. Nice colors and background.

Jane

  • Great 
  • jmirah Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 436 W: 5 N: 901] (3574)
  • [2007-06-07 11:57]

Great capture...The color, detail and focus are all excellent...Like the flowers also...Great pose...TFS
Jim

  • Great 
  • ridvan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 556 W: 0 N: 1138] (5140)
  • [2007-06-07 12:47]

selam ken; excellent close up shot of this pretty dragonly,good details presented ,nice BG and POV well captured with nice colours TFS
regards
ridvan

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2466 W: 168 N: 7458] (23564)
  • [2007-06-07 13:02]

Hello Ken,
Very fine capture of this beautiful dragonfly. It's strange how they sometimes drop their abdumen like that. Details are very sharp and the colours are beautiful. I like the composition very much!
TFS and regards, Ulla

Perfect Ken:-)...
No kidding...this is really a wonderful image.
Congrats!!!
TFS
Annick

hi ken!
great macro with perfect
quality and nice pov!
very good!

  • Great 
  • pvb Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 381 W: 20 N: 522] (1815)
  • [2007-06-08 16:15]

Hi Ken,
This is a very good shot. Nice focus and sharpness. Good composition and pov. I like the pose the dragonfly is in.
Nice colours and blurred bg.
TFS Paula

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2390 W: 194 N: 1991] (8113)
  • [2007-06-08 21:07]

Hi Ken,
very well composed picture, the dragonfly has such an elegant pose. DOF is great, the main subject is perfectly in focus and nicely separated from the OOF BG.
Beautiful details and the sharpness is superb.
Very well done.
Sky

Hi Ken,
you know I can't add much to say about this fine looking capture of this little gem of a dragonfly(these are number one with me).On my monitor this capture looks superb and with that,thank you for letting us see this little jewel. Bob

Hi dear Ken ,
very nice shot with excellent details.
nice sharpness and great BG.
very well capture and lovely shot.
Thanks for sharing
Best wishes
Saeed

Hi Ken, splendid macro with great scene, wonderful colors, excellent sharpness, very well done, have a nice week end, ciao Silvio

..
Hello Ken,
Excellent image!
I notice the sharp bend in the body you capture so nicely...
DOF is spot on, great details in the insect!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2082 W: 216 N: 3759] (12474)
  • [2007-06-09 4:38]

Hi Ken and sorry for the delay. I just arrived home a few hours ago.

This is really a splendid dragonfly shot from you!
I really like the terrific focus here as well as the fact that you didn't close-in the viewing angle. This way that animal has a lot of "breathing" space and also we get to see part of its habitat.
The details on the subject are spot-on and crispy clear and the colors everywhere are charming.
Excellent exposure and DOF, too.

Bravo and TFS
Horia

  • Great 
  • iris Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 392 W: 41 N: 735] (2314)
  • [2007-06-09 4:59]

Hi Ken this is an interesting posture that you have captures.One always gets to see them erect and in a linear path, but this one is very different .The PoV is excellent and the Bg is also superbly shot.
TFS & Cheers

Really nice pose Ken

Julian

Hi Ken,
very nice capture. Focus, sharpness and details very well. Colors and composition nice. thanks for sharing
best wishes
Ahmet

Greet Ken!
This is and brilliant shot, And love it. POV and compostion are fantastic. Love the sharpness, DOF and light. Nicely done, TFS :)
I thank and congratulate - Roma

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2007-06-11 23:29]

Hello Ken

Excellent focus and details.The composition is excellent.The lighting and colours are super.The DOF and POV are very good,and the OOF BG is lovely.TFS


Rob

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3040 W: 148 N: 4529] (14629)
  • [2007-06-14 14:18]

Hi Ken.
What a nice species of the dragonfly you have pictured. I like perfect reproduction of all features of this beauty. Pictured scene at whole is amazing too as well as the lights, crisp sharpness of the insect and very nice smooth colourful BG. Bravo and TFS. I can say again your series of photos is simply great.
My compliments and best regards.
Alexei.

bonjour ken
là encore c'est la perfection sur cette photo en plus j'aime la façon dont se tient cette libellule.
excellent.
laurent

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