Dragonfly exuvia

[Bruce Williams]

Hi folks,

This image is a crop from a stack of 16 frames. I am hoping that Erland will be able to supply info on species and maybe gender.

The great thing about exuviae is that they don't fly away

Bruce

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[beetleman]

An excellent stack Bruce. Sorta reminds me of the alien movies. Great detail on the shell

[cactuspic]

Interesting subject and the stack works well. The light seems a little harsher than usual, though.

Irwin

[Erland R.N.]

Wonderfull picture, very detailed.

You are supposed to photograph the dragonfly before it leaves the exuvia, making ID much more simple
I'm really not experienced enough to ID the exuvia and larvae, but this looks much like a Libellula quadrimaculata. I've got quit some photographs of this species during emergence, and the litterature for ID of European species, and I can't immediately point something out that does not match my pictures or drawings in books.
This species occurs in northern America too.

Erland

[Bruce Williams]

Doug - Know just what you mean about the "Aliens" movies . Thanks for your comments.

Irwin - Yes you're right about the light. I'd like to say that it was the late evening sun low in the sky, but the truth is I placed the specimen too close to the RHS of the light tent . I thought about retaking the frame-set, but in the end decided that the the deep, long shadows were just about acceptable.

Erland - I'll try and follow your advice next time although I understand the majority or emergences take place at night or start in the very early hours of the morning (is that right?) and I'm not too good at early mornings. Thanks for the possible i.d. of L. quadrimaculata. I've checked some pics on the net and agree that they do look very similar.

I have since read that the long, white threads may be the inside-out lining of the spiracles or "breathing tubes" that the nymph used underwater.

Bruce