Coleoptera - Beetles

[brontodocus]

Believe it or not, there are actually quite a lot of available beetle figures around. Most (and arguably the best ones) come from Japan - those heavily focus on giant rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles which are very popular pets in Japan. But there are others, too. I chose this as the first taxonomic group to start here because, well, I'm a bit of a bug man...

Carabidae - Ground Beetles:

Carabus auratus Linnaeus, 1761; "Carabe doré (la bête de proie dans l'arrière-cour)"; Golden Ground Beetle, Goldlaufkäfer. Kaiyodo Souvenirs Entomologiques (Jean Henri Fabre) No. 3. Length 24 mm, scale 1:1.


Damaster blaptoides Kollar, 1836; Snail-eating Ground Beetle. Yujin Insects of Japan Series 1 model No. 12 (secret item), length 35 mm, scale 1:1.

Dytiscidae - Predaceous Diving Beetles:

Cybister japonicus Sharp, 1873 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). Yujin Insects of Japan Series 4 model No. 33, length 37.5 mm, scale 1:1.

Buprestidae - Jewel Beetles:

Temognatha murrayi (Gemminger & Harold, 1869). Well, actually it does not even look like a beetle properly. Yowies figure. Length 44 mm.


Chrysochroa fulgidissima Schönherr, 1817; tamamushi, a Japanese jewel beetle. Yujin Insects of Japan Series 1 No. 8, length 32 mm, scale 1:1.

Geotrupidae - Earth-boring Dung Beetles:

Well, not the beetles exactly but this is the famous French entomologist Jean Henri Fabre (1823-1915) with his breeding setup for the Minotaur Beetle, Typhoeus (=Typhaeus) typhoeus (Linnaeus, 1758). Kaiyodo Souvenirs Entomologiques No. 8. Height of Monsieur Fabre 56 mm, scale approx. 1:32.

Up next will be the Scarabaeidae. Lots to come...

[Jetoar]

Amazing beattles, I would like to see Kaiyodo or Colorata insects in my country  .

[brontodocus]

Thanks! Of course, ebay is almost the only source...

So there...

Scarabaeidae - Scarab Beetles:

Scarabaeus sacer Linnaeus, 1758; Sacred Scarab Beetle. Epoch Flying Beetles. Length 31 mm, scale approx. 1:1.



Scarabaeus typhon (Fischer von Waldheim, 1823); "L'insecte sacrée, scarabée sacré". Kaiyodo Souvenirs Entomologiques (Jean Henri Fabre). Length 19 mm, scale 1:1.


Cheirotonus jambar Kurosawa, 1984; Yambaru long-armed Beetle. Kaiyodo / The Study Room (The Collection of National Museum of Nature and Science). Length 41 mm, scale approx. 1:1.5.


Cheirotonus jansoni Jordan, 1898. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 57 mm, scale 1:1.


Scapanes australis (Boisduval, 1835); Melanesian Rhinoceros Beetle. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 56 mm, scale 1:1.


Trichogomphus lunicollis lunicollis Burmeister, 1847. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 64 mm, scale 1:1.





Trypoxylus dichotomus (Linnaeus, 1771); syn. Allomyrina dichotoma, Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle or Kabutomushi. From top to bottom: Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Rhinoceros Beetles. Length 53 mm, scale 1:1. Epoch Flying Beetles. Length 60 mm, scale approx. 1:1. F-toys "Insect Hunter Rhinoceros Beetle & Stag Beetle". Length 64 mm, scale 1:1. Yujin Insects of Japan Series 1, length 58 mm, scale 1:1.




Eupatorus gracilicornis Arrow, 1908; Five-horned Beetle. Epoch Flying Beetles model No. 7. Length 55 mm, scale approx. 1:1 - 1.15. Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Rhinoceros Beetles model No. 5. Length 68 mm, scale 1:1. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book model No. 07, cast from a real specimen. Length 86 mm, scale 1:1.


Augosoma centaurus (Linnaeus, 1758); Centaurus Beetle or African Hercules Beetle. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 80 mm, scale 1:1.



Dynastes granti (Horn, 1870); Western Hercules Beetle. Epoch Flying Beetles. Length 66 mm, scale approx. 1:1. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 66 mm, scale 1:1.





Dynastes hercules (Linnaeus, 1758); Hercules Beetle. Furuta ChocoEgg Funny Animals Series 6. Length 60 mm, scale approx. 1:2 - 1:2.5. Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Rhinoceros Beetles. Length 99 mm, scale 1:1 - 1:1.5. F-toys "King of Beetle". Length 128 mm, scale 1:1. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 145 mm, scale 1:1.


Dynastes neptunus (Quensel, 1817); Neptune Beetle; Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Rhinoceros Beetles. Length 97 mm, scale 1:1.


 Dynastes satanas Moser, 1909; Satan Beetle. F-toys "King of Beetle". Length 100 mm, scale 1:1.


Xylotrupes gideon (Linnaeus, 1767); Siamese Rhinoceros Beetle or Fighting Beetle. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 76 mm, scale 1:1.



Megasoma elephas Fabricius, 1775; Elephant Beetle. Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Rhinoceros Beetles. Length 80 mm, scale 1:1 - 1:1.5.  F-toys "King of Beetle". Length 112 mm, scale 1:1.


Megasoma mars (Reiche, 1852); Mars Beetle. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 121 mm, scale 1:1.


Chalcosoma atlas (Linnaeus, 1758); Atlas Beetle. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 95 mm, scale 1:1.




Chalcosoma caucasus (Fabricius, 1801); Caucasus Beetle. Epoch Flying Beetles Length 60 mm, scale approx. 1:1 - 1:2. AAA (stamped "Hercules Beetle"), probably cast from a real specimen. Length 125 mm, scale 1:1. Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Rhinoceros Beetles. Length 79 mm, scale 1:1 - 1:1.5.


Chalcosoma moellenkampi Kolbe, 1900; Moellenkamp's Atlas Beetle. F-toys "King of Beetle". Length 110 mm, scale 1:1.


Goliathus goliatus (Linnaeus, 1771); Goliath Beetle. Furuta Choco Egg Funny Animals Series 7. Length 38 mm, scale approx. 1:2 - 1:3. Unfortunately the tarsal formula is all wrong (4-5-4 instead of 5-5-5).


Goliathus orientalis Moser, 1909; Eastern Goliath Beetle. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 90 mm, scale 1:1.

Still more to come... Japanese manufacturers have a fondness for stag beetles, too!

[tyrantqueen]

They're so beautiful I especially like the figures where you can fold the wings out.

[brontodocus]

Thanks! Unfortunately, those have immobile wings, i.e. they can only be displayed flying. However, 4d Master / Famemaster made some very nice beetles with removable hindwings and foldable elytrae but I don't have any of those. Oh, but I forgot one...



4d Master 4d Vision Anatomy Hercules Beetle (once again Dynastes hercules),a huge thing, nearly a foot long (273 mm, so approx. scale 1:0.5).
This one actually has removable hindwings and the elytrae can be closed over the body. Unfortunately, I've used it so often at our university to demonstrate beetle flight that the hindwings eventually broke at their insertion. I could fix that with epoxy, though.

[Jetoar]

Cool beattles, They are alive  .

[brontodocus]

Well, no need to feed them, though. _{I do have living tropical beetles at home at the moment but that's a different thing.}

Lucanidae - Stag Beetles:


Phalacrognathus muelleri MacLeay, 1885. Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Stag Beetles. Length 48 mm, scale 1:1. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from real specimens. Lengths 57 and 44 mm, scale 1:1.



Allotopus rosenbergi (Vollenhoven, 1872). Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Stag Beetles. Length 61 mm, scale 1:1. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 72.5 mm, scale 1:1.


Dorcus hopei hopei (Saunders, 1854) = Dorcus curvidens hopei. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 70 mm, scale 1:1.



Dorcus hopei binodulosus Waterhouse, 1874. Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Stag Beetles. Length 55 mm, scale 1:1. F-toys "Insect Hunter Rhinoceros Beetle & Stag Beetle". Length 71 mm, scale 1:1.



Dorcus (Serrognathus) platymelus (Saunders, 1854), Japanese Giant Long Fanged Stag Beetle. Yujin Insects of Japan Series 3, length 65 mm, scale 1:1. F-toys "Insect Hunter Rhinoceros Beetle & Stag Beetle". Length 63 mm, scale 1:1.


Dorcus (Serrognathus) titanus titanus Boisduval, 1835. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 95 mm, scale 1:1.


Prosopocoilus (Metopodontus) bison cf. cinctus (Montrouzier, 1857); Bison Stag Beetle. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 75 mm, scale 1:1.


Prosopocoilus dissimilis Boileau, 1898. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 62 mm, scale 1:1.



Prosopocoilus inclinatus (Motschulsky, 1857); Sawtooth Stag Beetle. F-toys "Insect Hunter Rhinoceros Beetle & Stag Beetle". Length 66 mm, scale 1:1. Yujin Insects of Japan Series 1, length 58 mm, scale 1:1.


cf. Prosopocoilus confucius (Hope, 1842); Confucius Stag Beetle. Safari Ltd. Hidden Kingdom / The Smithsonian Collection. Length 173 mm, scale approx. 1:0.4 - 1:0.6.




Prosopocoilus (syn. Cladognathus) giraffa Olivier, 1789. Epoch Flying Beetles. Length 75 mm, scale approx. 1:1 - 1:1.5. Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Stag Beetles. Length 87 mm, scale approx. 1:1 - 1:1.3. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 102 mm, scale 1:1.


Hexarthrius mandibularis Deyrolle, 1881; Giant Stag Beetle. F-toys "King of Beetle". Length 111 mm, scale 1:1.





Hexarthrius parryi Hope, 1842. Epoch Flying Beetles. Length 66 mm, scale approx. 1:1 - 1:1.4. AAA, probably cast from an actual specimen. Scale 1:1. Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Stag Beetles. Length 69 mm, scale 1:1 - 1.3. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 85 mm, scale 1:1.


Lucanus hermani deLisle, 1973. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 76 mm, scale 1:1.





Lucanus maculifemoratus Motschulsky, 1861; Sawtooth Stag Beetle. Epoch Flying Beetles. Length 66 mm, scale approx. 1:1. Yujin Insects of Japan Series 1, length 61 mm, scale 1:1. F-toys "Insect Hunter Rhinoceros Beetle & Stag Beetle". Length 59 mm, scale 1:1. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 77 mm, scale 1:1.


Mesotopus tarandus (Swederus, 1787). Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Stag Beetles. Length 69 mm, scale 1:1.


Neolucanus protogenetivus okinawanus Sakaino, 1984. Yujin Insects of Japan Series 2, length 53 mm, scale 1:1.


Homoderus mellyi Parry, 1862. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 51 mm, scale 1:1.


Odontolabis burmeisteri (Hope, 1843); Burmeister's Stag Beetle. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 93 mm, scale 1:1.


Odontolabis femoralis Waterhouse, 1887. Colorata Tropical Rainforest - Stag Beetles. Length 70 mm, scale 1:1.


Odontolabis stevensi cf. duivenbodei Deyrolle, 1865; male. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 82 mm, scale 1:1.


Cyclommatus elaphus Gestro, 1881. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 82 mm, scale 1:1.


Cyclommatus giraffa Möllenkamp, 1904. DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 73 mm, scale 1:1.


Cyclommatus metallifer (Boisduval, 1835). DeAgostini / World Insect Data Book, cast from a real specimen. Length 81 mm, scale 1:1.

[animaltoyforum]

These are stunning!

[Jetoar]

Fliying deer beattles are my favourite beattles. I want all  !.

[brontodocus]

Thanks again! Actually I had to go to Japan online auctions for the flying beetles and for the DeAgostini figures. Apart from the fees they were not that expensive but the latter ones come in (admittedly very nice) individual acrylic boxes and since I've bought about 50 of them at once they came in a huge and heavy parcel, so shipping was expensive. If I remember correctly I paid something like *cough* €120,- on shipping *cough*...

[tyrantqueen]

Thanks again! Actually I had to go to Japan online auctions for the flying beetles and for the DeAgostini figures. Apart from the fees they were not that expensive but the latter ones come in (admittedly very nice) individual acrylic boxes and since I've bought about 50 of them at once they came in a huge and heavy parcel, so shipping was expensive. If I remember correctly I paid something like *cough* €120,- on shipping *cough*...

Wow, that's what you call obsession dedication

[Varanus]

I'm constantly amazed at the diversity of beetles, especially the plastic ones!   C. metallifer is one cool bug!

[bmathison1972]

I just received the Kitan Club set of coccinellids (lady beetles) from Nature Techni Colour. The species are:

Coccinella septempunctata
Harmonia axyridis (impunctate form)
Harmonia axyridis (melanic form)
Olla v-nigrum
Propylea quatuordecimguttata
Vibidia duodecimguttata
Anatis halonis
Illeis koebeli

Attached is the promo image for the set (I do not have a camera at the moment to take my own pics):

[brontodocus]

It's a very nice set! I had an eye on it, too, but other toys had to come first. I hope you can show us individual photos of them, eventually. For the moment, how big are they (I assume in the 30 mm range)?

[postsaurischian]

....... well, I'm a bit of a bug man...

  !!


... stunning, simply stunning . The World Insect Data Book series rules!

[bmathison1972]

It's a very nice set! I had an eye on it, too, but other toys had to come first. I hope you can show us individual photos of them, eventually. For the moment, how big are they (I assume in the 30 mm range)?

actually they are small, maybe around 10-15mm (dont have one handy), but very well-detailed. It's acutally the same model with 8 color schemes, but they are different enough it doesnt seem that way. They are also magnets.

[brontodocus]

Oh, they're that small? From the few photos I've seen I assumed they were larger, they are even more detailed than I thought when they are that small.

[bugsnapz]

Hi Brontodocus,
These beetle are truly amazing. They take me back to my days in the merchant navy (too many years ago) when we stopped off at Borneo. You could hear the beetles flying around and landing on deck along with the preying mantis' and huge moths. If only I had a digital camera back then, I would have been in my element.
Bugsnapz Pete

[Ana]

Wow, how many beetles! How wonderful figures! What a collection! Wow again!
Congratulations, that's very impressive collection!!!! 

[brontodocus]

Thanks a lot, Mr. Smith & Ana! Well, I must confess to me these beetle models are some sort of substitute (or at least were for some time)... Until some twelve years ago I was breeding tropical rhinoceros beetles (including Dynastes hercules) and various African rose chafers. Not that difficult, but it takes patience (the Dynastes hercules grubs took almost three years to develop into beetles ). Then my final examinations at uni came in the way and I didn't have the time to care for pet insects, anymore. But two months ago my son and I started again with two species of large rose chafers.