Do I hear “Ride of the Valkyries”? by rhoing

Do I hear “Ride of the Valkyries”?

I can’t help it: the way this guy (though it’s probably a female) is hanging on just reminds me of the 1980’s Maxell [cassette] tape TV commercial with the guy in the leather chair listening to Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” (There are several samples on YouTube.)

Dragonfly or damselfly? Consulting the dragonflywoman (dot-com), this is a dragonfly. The wings are open at rest; the thorax is broader than the abdomen and the hindwings are different than the forewings, the former being broader at the base.

Confirmed at bugguide.net as a female “Perithemis tenera” or “Eastern Amberwing”; http://bugguide.net/node/view/686639

After *much* discussion (thank you, MaryBeth & Myrna!), this is an Eastern Amberwing. Didn’t care what it was initially; I was just excited to see that it was in focus when I downloaded it!

Plus, it’s not a flower, Michelle!

A year ago (“Is ‘lakemark’ a word?”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-06-06
Halloween Pennant...Not sure if it is dragonfly but I guess it is..too big for a damsel and doesn't hold his wings tucked back
June 7th, 2012  
also, their eyes are larger and sit on front of face where damsels sit out to the side more like hammerhead shark
June 7th, 2012  
and THIS IS awesome! I have taken some dark, much less clear photos of one of these type things..twice I think. I had my canon power shot 800 at the time...bummer. I could have gotten much better with my "new" camera...
June 7th, 2012  
Excellent Thom. Found yours from your comment to Myrna. Excellent focus.
June 7th, 2012  
I think this says dragonfly at the bottom http://bugguide.net/node/view/2591
June 7th, 2012  
LOL that is too funny our dragon flies are together!! Nice one, whatever it is. This looks like an Eastern Amberwing, was it about an inch long?
June 7th, 2012  
Kim
wow, whatever it turns out to be its fabulous. Great focus! Fav!
June 7th, 2012  
@espyetta Certainly looks like it’s a Halloween pennant; thank you so much, MaryBeth!
I didn’t include this under the image, but I think the eye position is also consistent with “dragonfly”.
I was pretty pleased; the depth of focus is very shallow and the head looks fuzzy to me, but the wings and legs are sharp (with a little help from PS). I could *never* have captured this with my PowerShot A560!

@jaboney Thanks, Mike. I think Myrna’s is better, but my comment was due to the fact that she and I were consecutive posts with our dragonflies (appearing side-by-side on the “Latest” page)!
June 7th, 2012  
@rhoing OK I'm pretty positive this is a female Eastern Amberwing. The wing colors and amount of color for the female are different than the Halloween Pennant. But maybe it is just the shots i'm looking at in my books and on line.
June 7th, 2012  
@sailingmusic I don't think my guy has enough "yellow" on the wings; I think MaryBeth is probably correct: Halloween pennant: http://bugguide.net/node/view/88093

@kdrinkie Aw, thanks for the fav, Kim!
June 7th, 2012  
Myrna....maybe someone just told me wrong when I put mine up in August...to me, mine look like Thom's...what do you think? And mine would stand up and do a handstand for a long time...

Aug 26 http://365project.org/espyetta/album-2/2011-08-26 (better of the two)

Aug 11 http://365project.org/espyetta/album-2/2011-08-11
@sailingmusic
June 7th, 2012  
@rhoing @sailingmusic I looked up E. Amberwing..they have almost solid yellow wings...but the H Pennant has striping effect with more clear and brown...they are in the same family...some big latin word that starts with an L (sorry, I am no Robert Velten a@robv) haha!
And it is hard to compare Thom's great pic with my two horribly lit p and s pics of one...that is for sure!
June 7th, 2012  
@rhoing I hope I get another shot of one of these guys with my T2i this summer/fall. I got the first one near where I park my car at school and second one in my yard at home.....so there is HOPE I will see one again this year!
June 7th, 2012  
@espyetta And I think I need to leave my 55-250 on the camera as my "default"!
June 7th, 2012  
I don't know what it is but you have a brilliant capture.
June 7th, 2012  
An amazing Macro capture of a b eautiful creature! Love the colours and dof! Fav
June 7th, 2012  
WOW!......Incredible close up Thom!! : )
June 7th, 2012  
Fav, Thom - great detail and clarity - wonderful shot! I love the dialogue going on between MaryBeth, Myrna, and you! Isn't it great that 365'ers help each other out so much Love this community! :)
June 7th, 2012  
It is quite amazing, and the way she appears to be hanging on, cute. The detail is great
June 7th, 2012  
@jtookey150 Thank you, Jean! Good fortune: having camera at the ready!

@rhos Thanks for the fav, Ann! My wife wants to hang some of my photos in the house and butterflies are okay, but otherwise, she says, no bugs!

@annbo The miracle of a zoom lens zoomed all the way out to 250mm!

@sparkleplenty1 This *is* a community, in every [good] sense of the word! Lately I've felt like backing away until I tame some piles at home and work but it's the community part that keeps me clicking and posting. You have been a faithful visitor and commenter and I appreciate that, Joyce!

@digitalrn That's definitely what struck me, Rick! Thanks for *your* faithful visits and comments; I appreciate them all, always!
June 7th, 2012  
Fabulous capture! Love the commentary!
June 7th, 2012  
@ruthmouch Thank you, Ruth! It's about being attentive and ready … and sometimes just plain lucky on the focus when it has to be quick!
June 8th, 2012  
Awesome shot! Great detail on this guy. I haven't seen very many this summer so far.
June 8th, 2012  
Kim
Awesome capture!
June 8th, 2012  
Wow! Fantastic focus on this guy (or gal)...Love it!
June 8th, 2012  
Maxell, audio tape, we're dating ourselves! Very nice shot and a dragonfly I don't recognize. I often wonder where folks are by studying the photos. Now I see you have a site to figure out the species. I have a few shots I would like to ID. I have enjoyed looking at your photos and will follow. AND ECONOMICS IS NOT DISMAL! The older I get, the more I link it to ethics and other aspects of life. :-)
June 8th, 2012  
Is it possible to have a super fav! Wonderful detail and the capture of the wings, amazing. The story and music is perfect.
June 9th, 2012  
@jennarichards Thanks, Jenna! I went rowing today and now I'm noticing all the dragonflies and damselflies!

@kdei Thanks, Kim!

@cmc1200 Thank you, Caryn! Maybe I should have tried to just ID sex and left species up to the community!

@canoninholster Thanks for your kind words, Greg, and the follow. It's astonishing how much "news" makes sense when you understand a bit of economics. I certainly don't think it's a dismal science, but that's the tag that's been hung on it.

@angeliquenordal Aw, a super fav, Angelique? Thanks so much! It's amazing how the 365 community kicks in to assist on some matter of discussion of a posted image!
June 9th, 2012  
@rhoing ~~as simple as this may sound...I love stories and pictures. Pictures that tell stories that is a bonus! Cameras are always good at a boathouse. I just started rowing last year. Great place to take pictures.
June 9th, 2012  
perfect focus! I wish I could do that!
June 9th, 2012  
OK having some fun with you and Mary Beth, sorry ahead of time.
Check out these videos, you can really see the green side markings that your shot has in this video of a Female E. Amberwing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MfEsdtqzNs

Halloween P : http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=TzkdsEbNLk0
Whatever it is, it sure is a fantastic shot and so is the male amberwings.
Thank you for always making fantastic comments.
June 10th, 2012  
@sailingmusic @espyetta Amazing videos, Myrna! Thanks for tracking them down!
June 10th, 2012  
@sailingmusic Now this video and pov in it show that the E. Amberwing has the darker brown striping....any photos I looked up did not...just showed an almost solid yellow wing with some reddish spot on the ends. So if that video of EA looks more like what Thom has up there. I do not see any green on Thom's at all...or the one in the video of the EA. Am I color blind!? argh! Haha ! Or are you saying that, like birds, the male and females look different...if that is true, I could have pulled photos of the solid wing one only (female? ) and got confused.

Thanks for the follow up, Myrna. And I am not sure now what my two shots of this type d fly were...what do you think? T hey were linked above. I know they may be too dark to tell..but now I am not sure I named them right! :0P
June 10th, 2012  
@sailingmusic Oh wait! I see what you mean...I thought it was white, but you mean that light colored splotch on the side of Thom's d fly. I see it....and the H Pennant video ...the body is all dark....So you were right! Good eye on that one! I was not seeing that difference!
June 10th, 2012  
@rhoing @sailingmusic So I went back and looked at my two shots of the d flies...the one on Aug 11 is too dark to tell, but prob. EAmberwing and the other one is for sure E. Amberwing! Thanks, Myrna. I am going to change their titles. and I never thought to video one, but I might try that. I was intrigued by how in the EA video, her body pulsed up and down and moved in really odd ways...weird.
June 10th, 2012  
Great shot. FAV for me.
August 9th, 2012  
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.