While hiking the prairie this past week, we saw a couple of Green Darners (Anax junius) that were in the upper prairie meadow. The Green Darner is also know as “Snake Doctor”, or “Darning Needle”:
Their normal habitat is near slow streams and ponds. On this prairie, there is a small pond, but it is a fair distance away from where this guy was seen. The thorax region (upper “chest” area) on these guys are bright green, while the abdomen is blue to purplish-gray. The adult Green Darner preys on midges, mosquitoes, caddisflies and other flying insects. The Green Darner is one of the fastest and largest of the common dragonflies. Such an awesome coloration!
Photographic Equipment Used:
- Canon 7D body
- Canon EF180mm, f/3.5 macro lens
- Bogen #3221 tripod, with Kirk Ent. HD ballhead + Canon 1.4x TC
- ISO 500
- Aperture f/5
- Shutter 1/1,600 sec.
Reminder: I will be displaying some of my work at the “Artfest Midwest: The Other Art Show” at the Des Moines State Fairgrounds today!