The Goliath beetle, Goliathus goliatus, is often regarded as the largest insect, at least in terms of weight (and if not this species, then one of its congeners). Goliath beetles have been reported as weighing upwards to 100 grams. The genus is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, and G.
Author: bmathison1972
I am Blaine, known by bmathison1972 on the forums and blogs. I am a professional parasitologist specializing in agents of human disease, including medically-important arthropods. I am also an amateur entomologist and study Nearctic click beetles (family Elateridae). Historically, much of my collection was devoted to insects and other arthropods, but in late 2018 I started building a Synoptic Collection of other species, to have one good exemplar of any animal species (my personal ‘Natural History Museum’). Other hobbies include hiking, bird-watching, running, and lifting weights, but my other ‘big’ hobby is visiting sports arenas, especially baseball stadiums. Whenever I travel for work (which I do with some frequency), I always check to see if there is a local college, independent, minor, or major league team to see.All reviews by this author
Honey Bee (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
3.5 (4 votes)
Walk around of the honey bee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 by Safari LTD for their Incredible Creatures line, originally released in 2006. What is surprising about this figure is that it is the ONLY insect to ever be released in the Incredible Creatures line, and it would be the only terrestrial arthropod if not for the recent sinking of the old Hidden Kingdom line into the IC line (of course, the only remaining figures in that line are the monarch, black widow, orange-kneed tarantula, and revamped scorpion).
Jewel Beetle (Puripura by Model Innovative Creation)
3.7 (3 votes)
Chrysochroa fulgidissima is a colorful metallic wood-boring beetle (family Buprestidae) from Japan. It goes by Yamato tamamushi in Japanese which roughly translates to ‘jewel beetle’. Historically, it was believed to be more widespread in Southeast Asia, but populations from Korea, China, and Vietnam have been described as new species.
Flea (Smithsonian Insects by Safari Ltd.)
5 (2 votes)
Fleas are one of the most medically important groups of arthropods, probably only second to ticks and mosquitoes. They are vectors for many disease-causing agents, including those that cause plague, feline rickettsiae, and endemic typhus, and can serve as intermediate hosts for a few tapeworms. The Oriental rat flea, Xenopsylla cheopis, was a driving force in the spread of the Black Death pandemic in the 1300s.
European Stag Beetle (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (2 votes)
The European stag beetle, Lucanus cervus, is an iconic insect of the European hardwood forests. Unfortunately, its numbers dropped in the 20th Century due to modern forestry, which removed dead oak and beech trees required for larval development. The beetle gets its Latin epithet, cervus, and its common name ‘stag beetle’ after Cervus elaphus (red deer), as the mandibles of a major male are reminiscent of the antlers of a red deer stag.
Bullock’s Nudibranch (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd.)
4.8 (9 votes)
Bullock’s nudibranch (Hypselodoris bullockii) is a colorful and familiar sea slug from the Indo-Pacific region. They are benthic in nature and are often associated with coral reefs. It turns out, many historical records of H. bullockii are incorrect, due to morphologic confusion with other species in the bullockii-complex.
Bee Hummingbird, pair (1/1 Bee Hummingbirds by SO-TA)
5 (2 votes)
The bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae) is the world’s small extant bird, possibly the smallest bird ever known (but I am not up-to-date on the full extent of the avian fossil record). It is endemic to Cuba and its surrounding islands, especially the Zapata swamp in the eastern part of the island.
Ant (Wild Animals by Papo)
4.3 (4 votes)
One bright day in late autumn a family of ants were bustling about in the warm sunshine, drying out the grain they had stored up during the summer, when a starving grasshopper, his fiddle under his arm, came up and humbly begged for a bite to eat.
“What!” cried the ants in surprise, “haven’t you stored anything away for the winter?
3D Picture Book Spiders of the World (Toys Spirits)
2.3 (3 votes)
Today I am reviewing an ingenious collection of spiders by Toy Spirits. The collection is called 3D Picture Book Spiders of the World. The verbiage ‘3D Picture Book’ (or similar) is used often in Japanese figures, most notably by Yujin, but this time it is very appropriate, as the figures come displayed in small books (more on that below).
Clouded Yellow (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (1 votes)
I started collecting insects when I was in Junior High School, so roughly 1984 or so. Like most beginners, I collected conspicuous and familiar species in my neighborhood, including of course butterflies and moths. Among the Lepidoptera my favorites were members of the family Pieridae, commonly referred to as whites, yellows, sulfurs, and orange-tips due to their delicate off-whites and pastel oranges and yellows.
Grove Snail (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (3 votes)
Cepaea nemoralis is a common and familiar species of land snail. It goes by several common names, including brown-lipped snail, grove snail, and lemon snail. It occurs throughout much of Europe, north to Sweden and east to Ukraine, including the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. It has also been introduced to North America (Northeast and Pacific Northwest) and Venezuela.
Old World Swallowtail, adult and caterpillar (Wild Animals by Papo)
5 (3 votes)
While commonly referred to as the ‘Old World swallowtail’, Papilio machaon has a very wide distribution, widest of any of the Papilionidae, covering most of the Palearctic and into western North America. Part of the species’ success is its tolerance for a variety of habitats and host plants. The butterfly can be found in forests, grasslands, hilltops, Alpine meadows, tundra, wetlands, disturbed areas, parks, and gardens.
Giraffe Stag Beetle (Revogeo by Kaiyodo)
3.7 (3 votes)
Today I am continuing reviews of Kaiyodo’s Revogeo arthropods with the giraffe stag beetle (Prosopocoilus giraffa) which was released in late 2021. This is the fifth figure in the series following an emperor scorpion (2019), red-clawed crab (2019), Asian giant hornet (2020), and Japanese giant water bug (2021).
European Lobster (Marine Life by Papo)
4.8 (4 votes)
Lobsters are not super common as toys, at least not as produced by major manufacturers as realistic figures recognizable at the species level. Most of them that have been made (AAA, Safari Ltd., CollectA, Kaiyodo) represent the Maine lobster, Homarus americanus. In 2021, Papo extended its ever-growing collection of arthropods with a European lobster (H.
Cameroon Sailfin Chameleon (Little Wonders by CollectA)
4.8 (5 votes)
In the rainforests in the highlands of Cameroon lives the enigmatic Cameroon sailfin chameleon (Trioceros montium). It is kin to the more familiar Jackson’s chameleon. It occurs primarily in rainforests around Mount Cameroon between 700 and 1900 meters above sea level, although it has been known to make its way into farms and gardens.