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Damselfly ID?

Gallery: Macro & Close-upPosted September 6, 20141,453 views9 comments

Could use some help here with figuring out what species of damselfly this is. I was at one of our local municipal gardens here in Lincoln (SE Nebraska) on Monday when I came across this guy chopping down on a small fly of some sort. Thanks in advance!

D300s
Nikkor 300mm f4, 1.4 TC (420mm), 36 mm Extension tube
ISO 400
1/800 @ f/6.3
Tripod
No crop

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on September 6, 2014 at 11:01 AM

John, my first guess is that this is a youngish male Carolina Spreadwing (Lestes vidua). My field guide shows a mature male with a very light blue thorax, but going online I see a number of pictures that look a lot like yours. The wing position says spreadwing and that plus its colors limits possibilities to 5-6 based on range maps. Most of the other similar looking spreadwings have the last 3 segments of the abdomen blue. Your image is very good, excellent sharpness on the df and a non-distracting background. To confirm (or disprove) the ID, I'd go back and find a few more.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by John Neukirch on September 6, 2014 at 3:37 PM

Thanks a bunch Mark.

Registered on July 9, 2012, 207 Posts, 1476 Comments

Comment posted by Balakumar Kaushik on September 6, 2014 at 6:29 PM

Lovely image. You've managed to get the eyes to the tip of the abdomen sharp !

Registered on January 4, 2008, 98 Posts, 1403 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on September 6, 2014 at 8:45 PM

Good sharp image, and I like that you have placed the subject against a BG that would help to bring it out!

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on September 7, 2014 at 10:15 AM

Excellent macro work John, very sharp with great DOF.
Stands out very nicely against this BG, well done!

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Wolfenden on September 7, 2014 at 3:47 PM

A very beautiful image, John ! Like the fine detail in the insect, its pose and the delicate colour harmonies of the bg.

Registered on May 18, 2007, 1108 Posts, 7647 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel & Loana on September 7, 2014 at 4:32 PM

Very nice shot. Perfect details and BG.

D&L

Registered on October 7, 2008, 166 Posts, 3044 Comments

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on September 7, 2014 at 5:44 PM

Hi John

I should be using my 70-200, 1.7 TC.. [340] to try to get a fine image like this one. super detail . color, and BG.