Two-banded Longhorn beetle.

The most common Longhorn beetle in Europe, the name coming from the two yellow bands on each wing case. All of the Longhorns lay their eggs in coniferous dead  wood in deep bored tunnels  taking two years to pupate.

f 2.8, 1/1600sec, ISO 100

f 2.8, 1/2000sec, ISO 100

Four-spot Chaser, Weetslade

What a fantastic Dragonfly to start off my new blog which features images taken mainly on my 100mm Canon EF f2.8 Macro lens. This stunner captured at Weetslade Country Park on the edge of Newcastle and is my first Dragonfly of the year. Also on view were Blue-tailed and Common Blue Damselflies but no did not manage any images of these species.

f 16, 1/30 sec, ISO 100.