Photos: Earth >> Europe >> Poland >> West >> Lodzkie >> Lodz

Register

  << Previous Next >>

Perfect Killing Machine


Perfect Killing Machine
Photo Information
Copyright: Grzegorz Wieczorek (red45) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-08
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon Powershot S2-IS, Raynox DCR-250
Exposure: f/8, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Robber flies (Diptera: Asilidae) of Europe, Dipterans (except Hover flies) of Europe-3 [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-01-11 0:08
Viewed: 5238
Points: 30
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Can you believe that one is so tired of winter that is missing even flies? If you live in Australia or Africa you probably can't :-) But, yes, it's true. I'm missing maybe not every specie of flies, but robber flies for sure.

Flies in the Diptera family Asilidae are commonly known as robber flies. The family Asilidae contains about 7,100 described species worldwide. All robber flies have stout, spiny legs, a dense moustache of bristles on the face (mystax), and 3 simple eyes (ocelli) in a characteristic depression between their two large compound eyes. The mystax helps protect the head and face when the fly encounters prey bent on defense. The antennae are short, 3-segmented, sometimes with a bristle-like structure called an arista. The short, strong proboscis is used to stab and inject victims with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes which paralyze and digest the insides; the fly then sucks the liquefied meal through the proboscis. Many species have long, tapering abdomens, sometimes with a sword-like ovipositor. Others are fat-bodied bumble bee mimics. Adult robber flies attack other flies, beetles, butterflies and moths, various bees, dragon and damselflies, ichneumon wasps, grasshoppers, and some spiders.
pvs, mariki, Ena, joey, marhowie, haraprasan, ellis49, Silvio2006, Argus, Janice, LordPotty has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekNature members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekNature members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To eruyanik: Winterred45 2 01-11 10:33
To haraprasan: DCR -250 and 400Dred45 2 01-11 10:18
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hi Greg,

A great capture with,good and sharp details,I like the diagonal in this compo,as I believe I have captured this robberfly as well in last summer season I will post it as a ws,hope you dont mind,

Paul

Hello Grzegorz,

Very good picture of this robber fly. Good POV and DOF. Nice natural colours.
Cheers,
Mariki

Brrrrr - it's so grey... Like winter in Poland. I miss your butterflies and dragonflies.

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1739 W: 224 N: 6872] (24909)
  • [2008-01-11 3:41]

Yeah I know what you mean... nothing to use the raynox on!!
Great shot of this Robber-Fly!
Maybe slightly dark but could easily be brightened.
Excellent sharpness and clarity.
Great composition as well.
Superb notes.
Well done Grzegorz,
Joe

Very nice DOF and sharp details Greg.
Well composed closeup, I like the woods grain running diagonally through your frame.
So here we are again in the middle of winter..You know it's bad when you start missing the flies ;-0
Howard

  • Great 
  • Ena Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 324 W: 61 N: 594] (2454)
  • [2008-01-11 5:30]

Hello Grzegorz,
I certainly don't miss flies, but I miss summer!
This is a very good macro. Well composed and sharp.
TFS, Regards
Ena

Hi Greg,
A lovely capture of this robber fly. Excellent details and a lovely composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

BTW: Have you used the DCR-250 on you 400D?

Hi Greg,
I couldn't get any shot from robber flies, even in summer times :-) I've met this species time to time but the ones that i met are so timid! This species one of my favourite, looks interesting indeed.

On the other hand, about having winter times in Poland or at anywhere on the nourth side of the world, you know the dreams are more colourful, interesting or let's say beautiful than the real life, so i'm sure 2 weeks very enough to having winter times there!

Greetings,
Ersin

Hi old friend.
I see you are digging in your archivies again.
Fine close-up with good detail and sharpness.
The DOF is also very good as it is for a Compact Digi.
Well done, Greg.

Hi Grzegorz, perfect macro of this perfect killing machine, splendid sharpness and wonderful details, very well done, have a good Sunday, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2008-01-13 3:11]

I miss the flies too, Grzegorz!
(I also miss the light!)
This shot of a Robberfly is taken from a perfect POV that shows all the features with good sharpness, which makes it stand out well against the similarly coloured BG.
Thanks for sharing this;
Best wishes, Ivan

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2008-01-13 9:36]

Hello Greg,
I know how you feel! We had some tiny Banana flies around our bowl of fruit here the other day - really exciting!! ;-) Anyway, this is a very fine capture of a Robber Fly showing sharp details and fine colours. I like the diagonal background too. Well done!
Many thanks, Ulla

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2008-01-14 11:23]

Good shot Greg, so sharp and with good clarity. He sounds quite a vicious beast too - not the sort I'd like down under.
Interesting notes too,
Sunny regards
Janice

Hi dear Grzegorz,
Great macro with good light and nice sharpness.
well exposed

my best wishes
Saeed

Hi Greg,we're well into winter now,but our flies don't seem to have realised.
We only have a few small houseflies here(not like the masses of huge blowflies,bluebottles and greenbottles we got when we were living on farms up north).
Luckily I can snatch them out of the air easily ... my kung fu training you see ;)
I don't see many robberflies here,even in the summer,but when I do I try to photograph them.
Not too much luck so far, but Joe is going to send me a Raynox DCR 150 soon so I'll be better equipped.
This is a great shot by the way.
Cheerses,
Steve

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF