The Green Ball, Pt. 2 - _TNY_2082
I came across something unusual on a late June (of 2025) visit to Åva-Stensjödal in Tyresta National Park. On top of a tree that had fallen across the Stenbäcken creek, there was something green shimmering and when I looked closer, I couldn't figure it out at first.
Upon a closer examination, this turned out to be the head (and a leg) of a dragonfly that had been left behind by a predator, presumably a bird, and now some Lasius ants were trying to figure out how to bring this comparatively massive bounty home.
There isn't much left to go on for an ID, but the metallic green eyes coupled with there not being a yellow "U" on the face means this must be a downy emerald (Cordulia aenea).
Since it obviously didn't move, I had plenty of time to try different angles (and a short video here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/54663660964/).
Part 1 is a three-exposure focus stack here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/54662597797
A shot of a "complete" dragonfly of this species can be found here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51573403120/
One thing worth mentioning is why it looks like the dragonfly eyes are looking into the camera even though it was very much dead. This is because of the way compund eyes work. Think of them like a bunch of green tubes surrounding a black ball. When you look at them you see the green tubes except for the ones pointing straight at you which you can see right down through and see the black ball so that "tube" looks black - and you get this pseudo-pupil effect.
The Green Ball, Pt. 2 - _TNY_2082
I came across something unusual on a late June (of 2025) visit to Åva-Stensjödal in Tyresta National Park. On top of a tree that had fallen across the Stenbäcken creek, there was something green shimmering and when I looked closer, I couldn't figure it out at first.
Upon a closer examination, this turned out to be the head (and a leg) of a dragonfly that had been left behind by a predator, presumably a bird, and now some Lasius ants were trying to figure out how to bring this comparatively massive bounty home.
There isn't much left to go on for an ID, but the metallic green eyes coupled with there not being a yellow "U" on the face means this must be a downy emerald (Cordulia aenea).
Since it obviously didn't move, I had plenty of time to try different angles (and a short video here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/54663660964/).
Part 1 is a three-exposure focus stack here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/54662597797
A shot of a "complete" dragonfly of this species can be found here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/51573403120/
One thing worth mentioning is why it looks like the dragonfly eyes are looking into the camera even though it was very much dead. This is because of the way compund eyes work. Think of them like a bunch of green tubes surrounding a black ball. When you look at them you see the green tubes except for the ones pointing straight at you which you can see right down through and see the black ball so that "tube" looks black - and you get this pseudo-pupil effect.