Dragonfly with Beautiful Turquoise Eyes

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 3:30 pm

Spotted this critter while I was up on a ladder painting. Pale blue body with a set of the most beautiful eyes...I just fell in love

All are full frame...no cropping

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 3:58 pm

Very nice Doug

Geez, on top of a ladder painting huh? I thought I took my camera everywhere

Bruce Williams · Post by **Bruce Williams** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:01 pm

Really clean and detailed images Doug. Colours, dof and exposure are all excellent too - would have been very easy to lose detail in the very bright areas of the face.

Bruce

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:05 pm

Great shots Doug!

I'm pretty sure Erland would recognize this beautiful dragonfly.

Wim van Egmond · Post by **Wim van Egmond** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:45 am

It is a beauty! Great shots!

But I have this suspicion that you dropped a little bit of green paint while you were on that ladder, Doug.

Wim

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 5:16 am

Thanks everyone. Where I am working now, my camera is no more than 5 feet from me at all times because I never know what will show up. Working outside all summer has been a wonderful experience...like being a park ranger. I see lots of beautiful things all day and i try to get them on the camera if I can.

Erland R.N. · Post by **Erland R.N.** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 7:51 am

Yes, the face of this dragonfly is very beautiful. It's a Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis), a male. Occurs all over USA, except in the inland northern and western states (Utah and further north). Only just reach into Canada at the west coast and in the east, and are found in parts of Mexico.

This is the single species in this genus (Pachydiplax).
They migrate northwards in smaller numbers along the atlantic coast, similar to Anax junius but not as pronounced.

I like the two bottom pictures, showing the face :-)

Erland

DaveW · Post by **DaveW** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:01 am

With a specific name like that Erland it sounds a big lad!

DaveW

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:16 pm

I always try and get an ID picture on an insect, then I go for the more artistic shots. Thanks for the ID Erland.
Dave....sorta like "Sir Longshanks"

jmlphoto · Post by **jmlphoto** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:29 pm

wow great colors on this guy. i like the second shot it has good lighting.

one thing though if anyone knows why do most dargonflys have that dark cell on the tips of there wings? does this help with males and females or what?

Erland R.N. · Post by **Erland R.N.** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 2:57 pm

jmlphoto wrote: one thing though if anyone knows why do most dargonflys have that dark cell on the tips of there wings? does this help with males and females or what?

They serve an aerodynamic purpose, but may have others too. If my memory serves me correctly, it has been shown by scientist that the wing would lose stability at much lower speed, if it had no pterostigma.

edit:

from book (dragonfly bible) by Philip S. Corbet:
"
The pterostigma, which serves as an "inertial regulator", can raise the critical gliding speed, the speed at which self-excited vibrations start in the forewing: though contributing only 0.1 % of total body weight, the pterostigma can raise this critical gliding speed by up to 25 %.
"

Erland

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:43 pm

Erland R.N. wrote:the pterostigma can raise this critical gliding speed by up to 25 %.

The number is completely believable, but I'm curious how they got it. Is this from computation or experiment? If experiment, what did they do?

--Rik

MacroLuv · Post by **MacroLuv** » Sat Sep 01, 2007 11:54 pm

rjlittlefield wrote: ... If experiment, what did they do?

--Rik

They did fly I bet... "Trying" to survive best they can. How about: Nature - "computations and experiments", Survival pressure - "decisions" and experimental time measured in millions of years.

How about navigational purpose in heavy traffic like navigational lights in sailboats, ships and planes. (Those marks are near the ends of transparent wings)

Adrian · Post by **Adrian** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 10:49 am

very nice, the eyes remind me of a specific turquoise mineral with different shades green yellow and black parts, simular colors to the eye, i dont recall the name though.

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:36 pm

MacroLuv wrote:
rjlittlefield wrote:... If experiment, what did they do?
They did fly I bet... "Trying" to survive best they can.

Umm, by "they", I meant the scientists who came up with the 25% number.

Of course they're just trying to survive best they can too, by doing the research, but...oh shoot...you've just playin' with me again.

--Rik