'Dictyoptera' - Mantodea (mantids) + Blattodea (cockroaches and termites)

[bmathison1972]

Time to start a taxonomic thread for the mantids, roaches, and termites. I'll start with my smaller figures, this of course not everything I have (esp. when you throw in the bin-style figures!).

ALL PHOTOBUCKET LINKS REMOVED

[sbell]

Very nice. I always run into problems with lighting on these kinds of figures--I often wind up with ones using a flash, no flash, and different ambient lighting. Sometimes it makes a difference. Sometimes the pictures are always [email protected]

[brontodocus]

Great figures, Blaine! I may add a few later (e.g. PV Blepharopsis mendica nymph and Kabaya Insect Directory Hymenopus coronatus) But I'm also quite envious about the Hissing Cockroaches. The K&M figure was part of a playset, wasn't it? I think I haven't seen it offered as a single figure, yet. Thinking of photos with or without flashlight, your awesome new dioramas provide a very dark background so I think you would usually have to use a good light source if you want to photograph the figures without flashlight. In most cases I use a flexible desk lamp with a 10.5 W LED bulb.

[Jetoar]

Really awesome post. I didnīt know that I can see differents figures of a lot of species of Mantis  .

[bmathison1972]

Great figures, Blaine! I may add a few later (e.g. PV Blepharopsis mendica nymph and Kabaya Insect Directory Hymenopus coronatus) But I'm also quite envious about the Hissing Cockroaches. The K&M figure was part of a playset, wasn't it? I think I haven't seen it offered as a single figure, yet. Thinking of photos with or without flashlight, your awesome new dioramas provide a very dark background so I think you would usually have to use a good light source if you want to photograph the figures without flashlight. In most cases I use a flexible desk lamp with a 10.5 W LED bulb.

The K&M hissing roach was part of a set, but it was given to me individually via trade, so I do not know if this is from the tube or polyvinyl bag set. There is a slight size difference, I believe, but without both for comparison I am not sure.

[sbell]

Great figures, Blaine! I may add a few later (e.g. PV Blepharopsis mendica nymph and Kabaya Insect Directory Hymenopus coronatus) But I'm also quite envious about the Hissing Cockroaches. The K&M figure was part of a playset, wasn't it? I think I haven't seen it offered as a single figure, yet. Thinking of photos with or without flashlight, your awesome new dioramas provide a very dark background so I think you would usually have to use a good light source if you want to photograph the figures without flashlight. In most cases I use a flexible desk lamp with a 10.5 W LED bulb.

The K&M hissing roach was part of a set, but it was given to me individually via trade, so I do not know if this is from the tube or polyvinyl bag set. There is a slight size difference, I believe, but without both for comparison I am not sure.

It would make sense that it was part of the Madagscar tube, which is now discontinued.

[stemturtle]

King termite (Funrise Toys), total length about 2 3/16 inches or 5.5 cm.

This is the only figure of a termite that I have; order Blattodea, infraorder Isoptera. It is one of 24 figures from the World of Nature Insect Collection, 1989. The scientific name was not provided. I was lucky to find this set on eBay to get the whip scorpion and sheep tick. Thanks to bmathison1972 for informing us about this brand.

[brontodocus]

Very cool termite figure, stemturtle! Some of those Funrise figures are really good.

[Jetoar]

Termites are uncommon figures 

[bmathison1972]

My happy termite family: Funrise Toys, Wild Kratts, and an unknown figure (that was propped on a set of wheels before I removed them)

PHOTOBUCKET LINK REMOVED

[Jetoar]

I have the same termite with wheels. It is my first termite figure.

[BlueKrono]

My random insects, including some mantids

[bmathison1972]

Bandai Spirits Idolomantis diabolica (2021):

[sphyrna18]

Blaine, that Bandai Spirits Idolomantis is EPIC!  is it 1:1?

[sphyrna18]

Nevermind - you already answered that question in your excellent Mathison Museum of Natural History entry!  Excellent!