Devourer - _TNY_9593S2
The golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) is one of the largest insects in Sweden. I spotted this particular specimen together with my son on a trip to the Mjällådalen nature reserve near Härnösand, Sweden, and luckily for us it had caught a bumblebee and landed pretty much right in front of us on a leaf to eat it.
I initially took some gradually closer photos of it using the Canon 100 mm L IS Macro lens (like here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53923749905/) and to my surprise, it didn't fly away and just continued devouring the poor bumblebee (so much was already devoured that I am unable to tell the exact species).
When I considered myself "done" and having gotten the photos I wanted, Daniel however convinced me to switch to the Canon MP-E65mm lens and try for some real closeups. Since it would require me to be minimum 10.1 cm / 4" away from the dragon, I initially refused as I considered it impossible, but Daniel insisted and it turned out he was correct - it kept eating and I got some real closeups like this one at 2:1 magnification. It is also a two-exposure focus stack to bring ore of it into focus.
This species is the only one in Sweden belonging to the family Cordulegastridae and has a bit of a different face compared to the other species. Also, while the adult only flies for one summer, it has already spent four or five years as a larvae in the water before emerging.
Devourer - _TNY_9593S2
The golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltonii) is one of the largest insects in Sweden. I spotted this particular specimen together with my son on a trip to the Mjällådalen nature reserve near Härnösand, Sweden, and luckily for us it had caught a bumblebee and landed pretty much right in front of us on a leaf to eat it.
I initially took some gradually closer photos of it using the Canon 100 mm L IS Macro lens (like here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53923749905/) and to my surprise, it didn't fly away and just continued devouring the poor bumblebee (so much was already devoured that I am unable to tell the exact species).
When I considered myself "done" and having gotten the photos I wanted, Daniel however convinced me to switch to the Canon MP-E65mm lens and try for some real closeups. Since it would require me to be minimum 10.1 cm / 4" away from the dragon, I initially refused as I considered it impossible, but Daniel insisted and it turned out he was correct - it kept eating and I got some real closeups like this one at 2:1 magnification. It is also a two-exposure focus stack to bring ore of it into focus.
This species is the only one in Sweden belonging to the family Cordulegastridae and has a bit of a different face compared to the other species. Also, while the adult only flies for one summer, it has already spent four or five years as a larvae in the water before emerging.