Blaine's Bug of the Day

[bmathison1972]

Like these Bug of the Day posts!

I thought you had the Megasoma elaphas from DeAgostini also.

I do, that's why I wrote 'represented but not shown'

[Beetle guy]

I see now 

[bmathison1972]

Gorgeous Goliathini and Gymnetini! These two tribes of scarabs are popular with collectors but still relatively uncommon among toy figures. They are mostly tropical in distribution and contain some of the heaviest and largest extant insect species! [for some reason I skipped over number 10 when labeling them...]

1. Goliathus orientalis Moser, 1909 - DeAgostini (World Insect Data Book)
2. Mecynorrhina polyphemus (Fabricius, 1781) - DeAgostini (World Insect Data Book)
3. Goliathus regius Klug, 1835 - Play Visions (Exotic Beetles)
4. Goliathus goliatus (Drury, 1770) - unknown Japanese manufacturer
5. Mecynorhina oberthuri kirchneri (Drumont, 1998) - Shapeways (Eric's Studio)
6. G. goliatus - Furuta (Chocoegg Funny Animals Series 2)
7. Dicronorhina derbyana Westwood, 1843 - XX
8. Cotinis nitida (Linnaeus, 1758) - unknown manufacturer [this is a knock-off of the XX figure which I do not have]
9. Trigonophorus rothschildi varians Bourgoin,1914 - unknown manufactuer
11. Dicronorhina micans Drury, 1773 - 4D Master (Beetle Collection)
12. Jumnos ruckeri Saunders, 1839 - Play Visions (Exotic Beetles)
13. J. ruckeri - XX
14. Pseudotorynorrhina japonica (Hope, 1841) - Kaiyodo (Insects Gather to Sap - Night Feast of Midsummer) [2 color variants]

[Beetle guy]

Wish those Play Visions insect wouldn't be such a hard find    Their really nice.

[Newt]

I'm blown away by the size and thoroughness of your collection!


Is the XX Cotinis nitida figure super rare? These beetles are redolent of happy childhood memories for me - watching them buzz low over lawns in summer makes me think of picking blackberries with my grandmother, plucking june bugs off the fruit before dropping them in the bowl  - and I'd love to have a nice figure of this species.

[bmathison1972]

I'm blown away by the size and thoroughness of your collection!


Is the XX Cotinis nitida figure super rare? These beetles are redolent of happy childhood memories for me - watching them buzz low over lawns in summer makes me think of picking blackberries with my grandmother, plucking june bugs off the fruit before dropping them in the bowl  - and I'd love to have a nice figure of this species.

Hi Newt! I don't remember where I got the XX figures I have. I think there were 24 of them, all clearly influenced from this poster (below, which hangs in my bedroom). All the figures are represented on this poster with the same Latin name designations. I have roughly half of them and I don't remember where I got the ones I have (several probably came from Yikes! toy store in Tucson, AZ).

[Newt]

Thanks for the info!

[bmathison1972]

Getting new batches up figures allows me to update more species' treatments. Today, it's the Japanese spiny lobster, Panulirus japonicus (Von Siebold, 1824). This is one of six species in the genus to be made in figure form!

From left to right:
Epoch
Kaiyodo (Enoshima Aquarium Series 1)
Kitan Club - Nature Techni Colour (Nature of Japan Vol. 1)
Eikoh (Miniature Planet)

[bmathison1972]

Look at these big dorks! By which I mean, Dorcus titanus (Boisduval, 1835). This common southeast Asian stag beetle is not uncommonly made, and the Japanese companies have produce five different subspecies!!!

1. Dorcus titanus palawanicus (Lacloix, 1984).
Left to right, top to bottom:
1. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Beetles, 2016)
2. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Beetles, 2017)
3. Sega (DX, large)
4. Sega (standard series, large)
5. Access Toys
6. ShanTrip



2. Dorcus titanus pilifer (Vollenhoven, 1861).
One figure, a small series figure by Sega.



3. Dorcus titanus platymelus (Saunders, 1854).
Left to right:
1. Yujin (Insects of Japan)
2. F-toys (Insect Hunter Beetle and Stag Beetle, 2011)



4. Dorcus titanus sakishimanus (Nomura, 1964).
Left to right:
1. F-toys (Insect Hunter Beetle and Stag Beetle, 2013)
2. F-toys (Insect Hunter Beetle and Stag Beetle, 2018)



5. Dorcus titanus titanus (Boisduval, 1835)
One figure of the type subspecies, by DeAgostini (World Insect Data Book).

[bmathison1972]

Megasoma actaeon (Linnaeus, 1758).

Left to right, top to bottom:
4D Master (Beetle Collection)
Sega (DX, large)
Sega (standard, large)
F-toys (Insect Hunter Beetle and Stag Beetle, 2018)
Sega
Sega (Fighting Beetles)
ShanTrip
Sega (small magnet)

In my collection but not shown: DeAgostini (World Insect Data Book).

[bmathison1972]

Next up, the giant Japanese mantid, Tenodera aridifolia (Stoll, 1813). This is the go-to species of mantid from Japanese manufacturers. Surprisingly, Kaiyodo has yet to make one!

1-3, 8. Break Co. LTD*
4. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Insects, 2015)
5. Hayakwa Toys (Insects Collection - Special)**
6. Yujin (Insects of Japan)
7. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Insects, 2016)
9. Bandai (Figure Pictorial Book of Gakken Insect)
10. Furuta (Insect Science)

* these four figures (1, 2, 3, 8 ) are color forms of the same sculpt
** this is a generic mantid, but being from a Japanese company it most-certainly represents T. aridifolia

Darn after I took and edited the image, I realized I forgot to image the Rement figure. Oh well, next time :-)

[bmathison1972]

The stag beetle, Prosopocoilus confucius (Hope, 1842).

From largest to smallest:
Safari LTD (Smithsonian Insects)
F-toys (Insect Hunter, 2018)
Groovy Tube Books (Bug Blast!)
unknown manufacturer [from a bucket set called 'Jungle Bugs' sold at the Rainforest Cafe]

Note: The F-toys figure is the only one specifically marketed as this species. The Safari Figure is a best-fit and the two smaller figures were most-certainly influenced by the Safari figure.



This is the last species to update with recent acquisitions. More later...

[Beetle guy]

Wow. I did not know the Safari figurines were this big! 

[bmathison1972]

Wow. I did not know the Safari figurines were this big!

The Smithsonian figures are large, they are all in the 2:1 range (give or take).

[bmathison1972]

Update of the common tiger, also known as the striped tiger or Asian tiger, Danaus genutia (Cramer, 1779), the southeastern Asian cousin to the monarch.

Updating with a figure by Insect Lore as part of their Big Bunch-O Butterflies collection (which are essentially repaints of the K&M International Butterflies Nature Tube figures). Here it is alongside the other figure of this species, by Yujin (Insects of Japan). [the Insect Lore figure might be intended to be the more familiar monarch, but with only white markings in the upper corners of the forewings, D. genutia is a better option]

[bmathison1972]

Having recently acquired the Club Earth figure, I thought it would be good to revisit the Genoveva azure, Ogyris genoveva (Hewitson, 1853). The Club Earth figure probably started the trend of this painting pattern for this species, since it really is not a great likeness of most morphotypes of the species.

From left to right:
Toy Major
unknown manufacturer [from a set clearly modeled after the CE figures]
K&M International (Butterfly Mini Polybag)
Club Earth (Butterflies to Go)

[bmathison1972]

Another species for which I recently acquired the Club Earth version, Cramer's mesene, Mesene phareus (Cramer, 1777). This is one of a very few members of the family Riodinidae to be made in toy/figure form!

Left to right:
1. US Toy
2. Toy Major
3. Club Earth (Butterflies to Go)
4. unknown manufacturer [from a set clearly influenced by the Club Earth set]

[bmathison1972]

The last species for which I recently acquired the Club Earth figure is the monarch, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus 1758). This is the first species I showcased on Bug of the Day, and I have gotten more figures since that original post. After all, it is the most commonly-made butterfly at the species level!

For starters, ceramic figurines. Figures from the Franklin Mint (Butterflies of the World) and Little Critterz (large adult from the Northern Rose line and a small adult and caterpillar from the standard line). Also a couple French feves and a small figurine that may had originally been doll house decor.



These next figures are the larger, 'elevated' figures. The largest figure is by 4D Master, along with figures by Safari LTD (caterpillar from the Smithsonian Insects line and adult from the Hidden Kingdom line), CollectA, and K&M Internationals (Magnamorphs). The CollectA is probably the best of them all!



Three more random large figures, one of unknown origin and one each from K&M International (Insects Polyvinyl bag) and Learning Resources (Jumbo Insects).



Lastly the smaller plastic figures. From left to right, top to bottom:
1. life cycle by Safari LTD (Safariology)
2. K&M International (Butterflies Nature Tube)
3. US Toy
4. Club Earth (Butterflies to Go)
5. Yowies (Australian release)
6. Toy Major
7. unknown manufacturer
8. Safari LTD (Authentics Butterflies)
9. Yowies (UK release)



...and still I just realized I forgot a couple! Oh well...

[bmathison1972]

Hallucigenia sparsa Morris, 1977 by Trilobiti. It came from Italy and the figure broke in a couple places during transit. I put it back together ok but might need some touch-up painting. Note the base is not included with this figure; it was made for me as an apology for taking a while to process my order.



Evolution of our understanding of H. sparsa. Left to right:
1. COG Ltd.
2. Kaiyodo (Dinotales)
3. Favorite Co. Ltd. (Cambrian Creatures Mini Model - Burgess Shale)
4. Trilobiti

[Beetle guy]

Nice!
The  Trilobiti model, what material it is made of?