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Cloaked in Metallic Blue


Cloaked in Metallic Blue
Photo Information
Copyright: Anna Eksteen (Miss_Piggy) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2285 W: 5 N: 5300] (18714)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-12-27
Categories: Insects
Camera: Sony Cybershot DSC H9, Digital ISO 125
Exposure: f/2.7, 1/40 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Hymenoptera: bees, wasps and ants, (sawflies), Insects and Spiders of Southern Africa, wasp-guêpe, 100 points or more (Chapter 3), 90-99 Puntos (chapter 1), Insects in my garden, RARE or SIGNIFICANT contributions to TN 3, Metallic wonders of nature 1, Animals from my garden [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-01-12 7:36
Viewed: 15180
Favorites: 2 [view]
Points: 138
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Spider-hunting wasp / Hemipepsis tamisieri

Trying to find some information, on the Internet, about this specific species of wasp turned out to be a dead-end street. There is nothing. Neither a single photo nor any notes. Loot has searched on "Google", "Yahoo", "Alta Vista", "Excite", and even a South African specific search engine called "Ask an Aardvark", but no luck whatsoever. All that we found was checklists of insects which included this species, but no notes about it at all. This means that not only is this photo a Trek Nature first, but it also appears to be the first on the entire Internet. Once again this proves how Trek Nature actually benefits and serves the whole of the Internet community.

I had a similar experience in trying to capture this wasp. As evasive as it turned out to be on the Internet so it was just as slippery to photograph. Every time I saw it in the garden it turned out that I did not have the camera with me. Then I would quickly run back into the house to fetch the camera and by the time I got outside the wasp was gone. Every time I saw the wasp it was sitting on the same spot, a bush of Cast-iron plants - Aspidistra elatior, right outside our front door. I told Loot about this insect and I really got frustrated at not being able to capture it. So I decided to go and sit on the veranda steps and watch the spot, with the camera in my hands, and eventually my patience and efforts paid off and I managed to shoot this shot. Funny enough I have not seen it since so I hope I did not shoot it dead (he-he-he).

What I can tell you about this Spider-hunting wasp are that it is related to the Tarantula hawk wasp as it comes from the same genus.

Phylum: Arthropoda (insects, arachnids, and crustaceans)
Class: Insecta (insects)
Order: Hymenoptera
Suborder: Apocrita (ants, bees, wasps)
Family: Pompilidae (spider-hunting wasps)
Active, long legged wasps, rear margin of pronotum reaching base of fore wings, antennae often curled. Most species have glossy blue, black or brown bodies, sometimes with yellow or orange markings. Wings may be black with a blue sheen, orange to red or transparent. A few species are wingless. Males are usually smaller, with longer antennae, and are sometimes differently coloured from females. Females run about on the ground flicking and jerking their wings.

Genus: Hemipepsis
Species: tamisieri
Identification: Medium-sized (males = 19mm & females = 23mm). Head and antennae orange. Thorax orange and black. Abdomen black with reddish tip. Legs orange. Wings metallic blue.

Biology: Preys mostly on baboon spiders (Harpactira) and rain spiders (Palystes).

Habitat: On the ground, usually searching among dead leaves or low vegetation. Taken from the book: Field Guide to Insects of South Africa - By Mike Picker, Charles Griffiths, and Alan Weaving, Published by Struik Publishers.

Spider Predators
Spiders (and insects) are hosts and prey to various animals and insects such as flies, wasps, mantids, and other spiders, also centipedes, certain reptiles, amphibians, birds, and some mammals.

Females of various wasp species locate their prey and sting them. This paralyses the prey but does not kill them. The paralysed prey is then carried or dragged to the nest that in some cases is prepared before prey capture. This often involves enormous effort.

The female wasp excavates a nest with her well equipped front legs that have a row of stout spines which serve as efficient rakes. The front legs alternate and the abdomen is held up to allow the excavated material to pile up behind the wasp. Once the burrow is deep enough, the wasp drags the prey backwards into the nest and places it facing towards the burrow entrance.

With most species of the Pompilidae (spider-hunting wasps), the female wasp lays only one egg on a single spider's abdomen. The larger the species of wasp, the larger the spider required. The size of the spider prey determines whether the egg will give rise to a male or female wasp. Smaller prey results in a male-producing egg and larger prey in a female-producing egg.

Once the egg is laid, the female wasp emerges, grooms herself and then proceeds to close the burrow. She backs into the burrow, draws in the previously excavated soil, passes it underneath her body and using her legs, packs it into place behind her. As she packs, she moves forward, out of the burrow. Once the burrow is filled in, she proceeds to tamp down the earth using her abdomen. Flexing at the "knees", the body and antennae vibrate so rapidly they become a blur of activity and the sound is clearly audible. Great care is then taken to level off the entrance of the burrow and she intermittently flies up and does a short circuit to inspect her site from the air, and goes back and makes the necessary improvements. If not satisfied with her site inspection, she bites earth from a quarry site next to the nest and spreads out the earth, tamping it down all the time. Finally, loose debris is scattered on the site and she then grooms herself again and flies off. In her life of a few weeks, the female wasp will construct further nests.

In the darkness of its underground cell, the pompilid wasp egg hatches after about 2 days and the wasp larva eats all the soft tissue of the spider, starting with the abdomen and eventually leaving only the hollow cephalothorax and legs. The prey lasts as long as required for the larva to mature and dies by the time the larva pupates. After about 7 days, the larva spins a silken cocoon and pupates within, and emerges as an adult wasp the following summer. Source
cicindela, mariki, uleko, Karin, wahclella, Argus, nglen, jaycee, rcrick, accassidy, jonathan_hart, dejo, marhowie, dkaved, red45, Silvio2006, loot, haraprasan, Alex99, Patleboss, ellis49, valy67, izler, angybone, Rolf, spalaxtr, Adanac, Dyker, pilonm, peter_stoeckl, jusninasirun, jmp, TAZ, eruyanik, jpdenk, ddg, mesquens, maurydv, boreocypriensis, oscarromulus, CeltickRanger has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To PaulH: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 2 01-16 06:28
To vanderschelden: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 06:21
To joey: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 06:20
To haraprasan: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 06:18
To Alex99: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 06:17
To Patleboss: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 06:15
To inked: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 06:11
To marhowie: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 06:08
To flashpoint: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 06:05
To wahclella: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 06:04
To izler: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:57
To krall: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:56
To angybone: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:55
To Rehanna: DankieMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:54
To Rolf: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:45
To lizzie: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:44
To spalaxtr: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:44
To Adanac: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:43
To Dyker: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:43
To pilonm: Thank YouMiss_Piggy 1 01-16 05:39
To cicindela: A colourful African creatureMiss_Piggy 2 01-12 08:54
To mariki: ThanksMiss_Piggy 1 01-12 08:36
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Anna and welcome among TN mambers!
As an entomologist I really like to watch interesting insects, and this wasp is really cute! Great colours (interesting are especially blue wings!), and very nice sharpness and depth of filed. And additional "plus" for showing so small African creature, not - as usually we can see on TN - big mammals or colourful birds :)
Bravo also for interesting note, anyway, is it belongs to family Sphaecidae?
Best greetings from Poland,
Radomir

PS. I really hope to see some more African insects from you :)

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3396 W: 172 N: 3310] (10940)
  • [2008-01-12 7:51]

Hello Anna,
This insect is really eye-catching and I'm impressed by your start here on TN where you're most welcome! I'm sure there must be lots of insects "undiscovered" in South Africa. I'm sure you'll find many more and I look forward to seeing them. This is a great capture of this rarity in bright colours. Amazing details of the beautiful wings and the spikes on the legs! Great colours too and an excellent composition.
TFS and best wishes, Ulla

Hi Anna,
This is a beautiful insect! Its blue metallic color is amazing. I like this DOF you chose and beautiful background composition. Your notes are also interesting. Welcome to TN and TFS,
Claudine

  • Great 
  • Karin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 418 W: 5 N: 268] (2089)
  • [2008-01-12 7:56]

Hi Ana,
Fabulous colors and great composition. Perfect sharpness.
Such a colourful insect.
Great job!
TFS

Hello Anna,
Congradulations for the first wasp of this type on the net! An excellent look at this beauty! Great detail throughout the body of the wasp, appears ferocious as do many of the species of wildlife in Africa. Now we know why the wasp is no more, the great hunter has returned--LOL.
Excellent post...
Steve

hello Anna
interesting wasp for shape and rare color
with great details

best regards sERGIO

Hello Ann,
Must be taken in the garden and not the Kruger garden, was my first thought.
Almost a gem. A valuable insect:-). Well they are valuable after all, I guess. Sometimes.
Good composition.
Interesting species.
Well done
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • joey Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1739 W: 224 N: 6872] (24909)
  • [2008-01-12 8:48]
  • [+]

Wow! What a beauty!
Those wings are like liquid sapphire!
Superbly composed by placing the head in the centre and the body diagonally across the frame.
Very sharp with great clarity.
I think some of the detail has been lost by noise reduction however it is hardly a problem as the colours are so amazing!
Perfectly exposed and lit.
Great DOF and focusing.
I hope to see more "gems" from you :)
Well done Anna,
Joe

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5038 W: 260 N: 15594] (50626)
  • [2008-01-12 9:37]

Hello Anna,
You certainly make a fantastic start on TN with the high quality images that you have poated so far. Nothing to indicate that you are a beginner!
This is a fine macro of a Spider-hunting wasp with excllent lighting, POV and set in a pleasing composition on the contrasting leaf BG. The ambient light has really allowed the sky tobe reflected on their shiny surfaces, which adds to the appeal of this image.
Well done Anna and thanks foer sharing this one.
Ivan

Hello Anna
Such a colourful insect.
Very sharp with great clarity.
Goopd capture

Regards Gert

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2883 W: 30 N: 9683] (36145)
  • [2008-01-12 11:41]

Hi Anna. You have captured a fine close up.your sharp focusing has given good detail .with rich but still natural looking colours. a nice top POV. well done TFS. good notes too.
Nick..

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2454 W: 10 N: 8044] (25460)
  • [2008-01-12 13:02]

Hi Anna,

I can't believe that is a wasp! The metallic blue is just amazing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a country with beautiful birds has beautiful insects as well. Excellent shot with razor-sharp details and fantastic colors. Looks wonderful on the green leaf.

Jane

Ciao Anna,
i colori di questo imenottero sono veramente magnifici!
Molto ben riuscita l'inquadratura e ottimo lo sfondo verde, che mette ancora più in risalto questa splendida specie.
Grazie,
Marcello

Hello Anna,
Very impressive shot, Wasp's aren’t one of my favorite subjects having been on the receiving end of some pretty nasty stings, but this has superb colours, excellent detail, well framed, t.f.s Cheers Rick :)

excellent close up, fine contrast and colours, well done macro :))
regards
jo

  • Great 
  • dejo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 344 W: 51 N: 520] (2242)
  • [2008-01-12 17:25]

Hello Anna,
nice shot, colors and pose are wonderful
captured ine nice pose and with very good details
best regards
Dejan

Hi Anna,
I see you have caught the TN bug as well...it certainly is contagious!This is a really exotic looking fella.The combination of colours of its body and the backdrop of green have served up a very attractive and eyecatching image.Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Regards, David

Hello Anna,

Very nice composition. Good POV and DOF. Beautiful detail. Wonderful colours. What was the size of this wasp?
Cheers,
Mariki

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2636 W: 74 N: 9091] (31094)
  • [2008-01-13 2:29]

Hello Anna!

After Radek - it is great pleasure to see some small insects from SA, not only big mammals and birds. I hope you'll post more interesting shots like this one. Great work with note - I heard joke - if you can't find something on internet this means that this thing doesn't exist in real world :-) Fortynately we've got books also :-)
Picture is excellent - great composition, details, diagonal, green surfaces. Your main subject is very well captured, I love colour of its shining wings!

Hi Anna, wonderful bright metallic colors for this beautiful wasp, great details and splendid sharpness, very well done, have a good Sunday, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • loot Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5524 W: 722 N: 4163] (11276)
  • [2008-01-13 3:48]
  • [3]

Hi Anna

The enthusiasm you are pouring into photography definitively shows on this shot. It was all worth your patience and effort and you've been rewarded with an excellent shot. Originally when you told me about this insect that you want to shoot I did not realise it was a wasp (neither did you), but if I knew that fact I would have warned you to caution. These things carry a nasty surprise package at the end of their tails and coming so close to it could so easily have ended in cries of excruciating pain instead of cries of joy (chuckle).

You did a great job here though. I am really surprised at the rate you are learning. Compositionally you positioned the insect across the diagonal line with the eyes near the centre of the shot. The colours are stunning and very natural (and I have compared it with the real thing). The exposure was spot on – no over or under exposures at all, even though you had to deal with the Zululand sun. Actually you obtained a very neat double of the insect in the shaddow on the leaf. The details are fabulous, sharp and well defined showing all the intricate features on the wasp. The nice broad leaves of the cast iron plant served as an excellent and evenly coloured BG which helped to enhance the insect.

Very well done and TFS.
Regards
Loot

Hi Mrs. Eksteen,
A very beautiful, dangerous and rare capture of this spider wasp. We also have some similar wasps and I have also taken some shots but not closeups as they are very aggressive. Thanks for showing so much details of this wasp. Very good and informative notes too. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Hi Anna.
You have shared a really fantastic macro shot. First, it is a composition. It is simply amazing. I like the pattern created by leaves. Perfectly reproduced main leaf and nicely blurred remotes leaves are looked greatly. Image of the insect is brilliant. I am impressed with its details and colours. Even shadow from it is amazing. Bravo and best wishes.
Alexei.
P.S. Many thanks for so wonderful comments.

Hello Anna, I am verry happy to see your third shot,
This is a splendid macro with fantastic colors and great metallic blue, perfect focus with ideal deeph of field,
excellent job,
cheer,
friendly,
Pat

Hello Anna,
From the other side of the world!!! My god, what rate bug... but this is a wonderful thing of internet.
Nice shot and nice class of biology.
Thanks for sharing
Cristina

Hi Anna,
Excellent job on the color and details, great use of ambient light with very good exposure. I think the shadow adds well also.
An excellent composition and exemplary notes too :)
Howard

  • Great 
  • betsie Gold Star Critiquer [C: 180 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-01-13 22:46]
  • [2]

Hi Anna
Ek het gedink jy kan net tik!!! Well done - ons kan dalk een of ander tyd vir ons 'n mooi kalender maak vir ons slaapkamers met al die mooi fotos wat jy kan neem!! Miskien kan jy troufotos of iets begin binnekort?? Altyd iets om op terug te val as jy moet.

Hi Anna,
a new very fine picture and this time a good close-up shot.
The colours and lighting are great.
The compo is also very nice, you manage the get a some diagonal
lines in a very nice way.
The sharpness and DOF are very good, the whole insect in focus
and the BG nicely blurred.
Very good work, Miss Piggy.
Gert

Hello Anna !
What a wonderful bug you have found here ! I love the metallic blue color on his wings, it is really amazing ! His big antennas are nice too. Excellent details on the wasp, vivid colors, wonderful composition and POV, nice pose of the insect. I had never seen this type of insect before, so I thank you for showing me ! Very well done !
Valerie.

  • Great 
  • inked Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 132 W: 0 N: 249] (771)
  • [2008-01-14 6:24]
  • [+]

fantastic Anna! the colours on this wasp are amazing! fantastic composition and nice focus.. really interesting spikes under his legs too. great shot! and congrats on the possible internet first =) thanks for sharing

  • Great 
  • Janice Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3277 W: 148 N: 6163] (18832)
  • [2008-01-14 11:17]

You're a very patient lady - and what good results you received from your waiting. And I hope you didn't overshoot it and kill it off.

It's a brilliantly coloured wasp Anna, very eye-catching. Good clear image, and I think he's posing just for you.
Thanks for sharing
Janice

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer [C: 1387 W: 3 N: 9] (44)
  • [2008-01-14 12:47]
  • [+]

merhaba anna
successful close-up working on this colourful and interesting wasp with compact machine
composition, point of view, lighting, colours and details are great
thanks for sharing
regards
izler

  • Great 
  • krall Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 190 W: 0 N: 47] (1286)
  • [2008-01-14 15:33]
  • [+]

Hello Anna,

Very nice composition

Fascinating little creature...wonderful capture. The bright wings are very impressive. Great focus - a nice clean shot.

(hope to see you post more!)

Hello Anna
Voorwaar 'n pragstuk. Jy doen uiters goed en daar is geen teken dat jy nog 'n beginner is agter daardie kamera nie. Ek sien volgens Loot se kritiek dat jy moontlik op dun ys was met hierdie perdeby. Ek weet van die verpestelike goed want ek het al sleg deurgeloop onder een van hulle. Seer is nie beskrywend genoeg nie. Pragtige werk.
Groete
Rehanna

NS. Dankie vir die briefie, ek het dit ontvang. Ek was egter uihuisig vir 'n paar dae en het dit nou eers gesien. Geen probleem ek geniet julle fotos en sê vir die anner helfte om nie bekommerd te wees nie. Dit is nie nodig om nog 'n e-pos te stuur. Ek is die een wat die voordeel trek uit julle "professionele" aanbiedinge.

  • Great 
  • PaulH Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1137 W: 26 N: 3879] (13882)
  • [2008-01-15 8:47]
  • [+]

i missed this one! Very nice composition here Anna, the colours are really eye catching and the light has given you a great shadow - another great shot, well done!
Paul

  • Great 
  • Rolf Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 58 W: 0 N: 27] (196)
  • [2008-01-15 10:43]
  • [+]

Hi Anna
What a beautiful insect you have here.
I like coloures and pose.
Well done.
Rolf

Hi Anna,

Wow, amazing sharpness on this wasp and absolute delightful colours. I like the angle that you chose to capture it and the way that you've framed this shot. Great macro shot.

Lise

  • Great 
  • Adanac Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1273 W: 1 N: 6188] (21378)
  • [2008-01-15 19:33]
  • [+]

Hello Anna,
Amazing macro with superb details and amazing color. Super job on both the image and the note Anna. Thank you for sharing.
Rick

  • Great 
  • Dyker Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 136 W: 0 N: 57] (170)
  • [2008-01-16 0:20]
  • [+]

Hello Anna
Mensig, maar dit is mooi.
You nailed this one before it could or did nail you. Spiky buggers they are and not stingy with their stings either. You photographed a beautiful specimen with excellent skills reminiscent of old, experienced photographers, but you show a "beginner" can also have a good eye and a good feel for this hobby we call photography. If the will and the effort is there, the results will come by itself. Very nice shot indeed.
Greetings
AC

PS. The notes was an absolute pleasure to read.

Hello Anna,

What an incredible wasp and a wonderful picture from you!!! You got the perfect POV in order to get the nice blue reflections of the wings! I like also the composition with those 2 opposite diagonals: one done by the insect and the other by the leaf edge...

Great post with great notes too!

TFS,

Michel

Hi Anna,
Great macro of this colofull insect. Details and POV grea. TFS.
Mustafa

Hi Anna

Another gem, a stunning illustration of this wasp. I especially impressed in the sharpness achieved with your Sony, and I do like the spines at the second leg joint on each leg; a cuious adaptation.
Can't help with an ID, but who cares its a masterful capture.

Chris

  •      
  • jignasi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2118 W: 0 N: 3424] (27917)
  • [2008-01-17 23:44]

Hola Anna, sobre mi fotografía tienes razón, no puese información, espero hacerlo más adelante.
Tu fotografía interesante por su buena disposición, fotrmato, luz y colores, aunque que algo justa de enfoque.
Un abrazo desde España y encantado de conocerte.
Saludos: J. Ignasi Tejedor

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1772 W: 36 N: 5597] (18598)
  • [2008-01-18 18:49]

Hi Anna,
Appreciate and like this wonderful shot from you. Out of town, hence doing a short job. Sorry friend.
Regards.
Sumon

Hello Anna,
amazing image - a very powerful, artistically well composed, most lively and vibrant eye-catcher. Wow!
Love those rich colours in the strong sunlight, and I am fascinated by that very skilfully arranged diagonal composition.
Thank you, and all my best wishes to you and to my dear old friend Loot who certainly is very proud of you.
Peter

P.S.:
A great pleasure to meet you - welcome to the TN party!

Hello Anna,
This is so vibrant and brilliant in clarity. Yes, metallic blue indeed with flawless sharpness throughout its body. Good management of light with the high angle and the shadow casted on the leaf. Beautifully cropped in this superb aspect ratio. I like it and very well done.
Regards,
Jusni

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2008-01-22 10:24]

Hello Anna

Wonderful rich colours,very striking.
The blue is beautiful and the lighting is well utilized.
I really like the cross diagonal composition.
Well focused with sharp details.
The POV and DOF are both excellent.
This insect has lovely contrast between the blue wings and reddish orange legs.


Rob

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3089 W: 230 N: 6774] (23770)
  • [2008-01-22 15:49]

What a jewel of an insect, Anna!
The light on this spider-hunting-wasp is just perfect.
It brings out the rich gold of the body,
and the irridescence of the metallic blue wings.
Amazing sharpness of details and excellent POV.
I do enjoy the "perfect" shadow of the bug on the leaf.
Really beautiful. : )

Belissima foto deste inseto exelente trabalho de macro meus parabéns e seja bem vindo.
Nilson

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1659 W: 95 N: 2273] (8415)
  • [2008-01-27 4:14]

Hi Anna,
What a really nice surprise to know who are you!
Your blue obsession found a nice subject in this rare and beautiful insect. Great details, perfect pose and wonderful colours. The crossed diagonal position in the insect and the edge leaf makes a very dynamic composition and the pose looking to the oof bg adds certain mystery to to scene. Well done!
Please to meet you!
José M.

Hi Anna,

This is a great macro shot, with excellent detail and amazing colours. I love looking at these types of pictures.

Mike

Hello Anna,
A H9 with a talented photographer behind it that produced this what I called a super macro shot!
The exposure and focus is spot on with total sharpness, beautiful colouration and details all round!
thank you too with a very informative notes!
a great talent borned in this site!
many thanks for sharing
my regards to Loot too!
Tony

  • Great 
  • TAZ Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167] (10926)
  • [2008-01-29 23:24]

Hello Anna,
Welcome to TN ! You start here with a nice gallery and with many admirers ;-) The sony H9 is in good hands. I like very much this beautiful macro of this lovely insect. The wings are not purple but the metallic blue is superb ! Diagonal composition, exposure, sharpness and DOF are good. Bravo for the instructive note in the spirit of TN !!!
Congratulations and thanks for sharing,
Christian

Hi Anna,
Generally my favourite subjects are spiders and this one you caught is one rarely species to hunt them! So it should also be my another favourite but unfortunately i was not familiar to them, maybe i faced them or not, i'm not sure. It looks so tiny and fragile, normally i suppose them bulky and stronger as a hunter of the spiders, it is surprising indeed!

As for the photo, i like the amazing navy blue gloss on the wings, nice chosen pov and diagonal position of the wasp!

Congrats,
Ersin

The light on the wings of this wasp is extraordinary! What gorgeous colors and detail! You've done an outstanding job here, Anna! Best, Penny

Beautiful close-up of this magnificent Hymenoptera specimen. The green leaf BG really brings out the yellow and blue colors of the insect.
TFS
Gary

  • Great 
  • clnaef Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 778 W: 67 N: 645] (6814)
  • [2008-02-05 22:54]

Bonjour,
Belle netteté pour un insecte aux couleurs étonnantes
Bonne journée.
clnaef

  • Great 
  • lousat Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6595 W: 89 N: 15659] (65489)
  • [2008-02-07 16:08]

Hi Anna,thanks for your kind words about my purple pic. Next i wish to give you my best compliments to this insects,very perfect under all corners of view and for the interesting note,great work,thanks for share,Luciano

Hi Anna,

A beautiful image, what a magnificent little beast! Its colors are wonderful. Nice composition, I like it!

Thanks,
John

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  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2234 W: 188 N: 1912] (8073)
  • [2008-03-11 4:44]

Hi Anna,
what a amazing colors on this one, the bug glitters like a jewel.
Wonderful macro, sharp, crisp and full of great detail.
TFS..Sky

Bonjour Anna
De superbes contrastes de couleur font de cette macro une véritable merveille; J'aime beaucoup le doré du corps.
Bravo et merci.
Antoine.

  • Great 
  • ddg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 867 W: 24 N: 1008] (5507)
  • [2008-03-15 1:45]

Bonjour Anna, fabulous colors to eye-catching and perfect sharpness too. Very well done, best regards, Didier.

Hello Anna,
Very good shot composed by two diagonals. Very prety bug, nice colors and special sharpness.
Great macro shot
Cheers
Raimundo

Splendida macro di questo insetto, eccellenti POV e DOF, bellissima composizione con l'insetto in diagonale pronto a spiccare il volo verso il "mistero", straordinaria nitidezza, fantastici i colori e la luminosità. Grazie e complimenti. Ciao Maurizio

I seemed to have missed this shot, my dear friend Anna.Wasps aren't exactly my favourites, but this is a wonderful shot, so brilliant in colours, sharpness, and texture,if you know what I mean.
thanks for sharing this wonderfulshot, Anna.
Goldy

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2791 W: 0 N: 6696] (25839)
  • [2008-08-16 21:16]

Hello JR,
a lovely insect. The shotis very impressive and stunning. Very sharp and clear.Well thought and well executed. Such a great . Well taken opportunity and grabbed instantly . Nice diagonal composition

regards,
Foozi

Hi MF Anna,

Since i could not fined new posting from your KNP trip, i searche your pevious ones to leave my incapable comment. A fine capture of this tiny metalic Spider-hunting wasp which i saw firstly. Perfectly captured and composed shot from nice top POV with great clarity and nice DOF MF!
TFS and congratulate once more!
Cheers,

Bayram
Ps. After this sunday i will be away from TN for approx. a week since we have to complete our Taurus project field studies. Thus take care you and my dear friend Loot:)!

great capture, greetigns Ori

Anna,
Looks sharp on the green B/G.
I admire you for the painstaking work you do on your notes. They are always most accurate; highly educative.
The frame is truly impressive. An excellent post.
Warm regards from Mario in Canada.

Hello Anna

Excellent macro of this insect, with fine POV,
DOF, and the wway diagonally it is framed it
adds dynamism to the image, excellent light,
great contrast between the color tones of the insect, TFS

Asbed

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