I have decided to start my ‘spooky’ October blogposts with a trio of ‘diabolical’ insects! I am talking specifically about Idolomantis diabolica, commonly known as the Devil’s flower mantis or giant Devil’s flower mantis, one of the world’s largest mantids. It is native to the rainforests of East Central Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Uganda.
Brand: Bandai/Bandai Spirits
Mini Sharks (Diversity of Life on Earth by Bandai)
4.8 (5 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
As previously mentioned, 2023 has been a great year for cartilaginous fish fans with, many figures from big and small companies alike. Today, we will be taking a look at the Bandai’s Mini Sharks collection which is part of their Diversity of Life on Earth series.
Frilled Shark (Diversity of Life on Earth: Mini Ancient Fish by Bandai)
4.6 (8 votes)
The frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) is an enigmatic anguilliform shark in the family Chlamydoselachidae. There is one other extant member of this family, the South African frilled shark (C. africana). They are considered among the most primitive extant sharks. Frilled sharks occur nearly worldwide, usually in the waters of the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope.
Ladybugs (Diversity of Life on Earth by Bandai)
5 (5 votes)
As if wasps, caterpillars, beetles, scorpions, ants, peacock spiders, mantids, and crabs weren’t enough, Bandai recently (early 2023) added a set of ladybugs (lady beetles) to add to their growing collection of arthropods in the Diversity of Life on Earth (DoLoE) line. And the set is part of their ‘Advanced’ line, which means better and more refined sculpts, better paint, and yes, of course, they are more expensive.
Crested Gecko (Diversity of Life on Earth by Bandai)
4.5 (12 votes)
Review and images by Fembrogon; edited by bmathison1972
There’s a Gashapon for just about everyone, I’d wager. Bandai’s trademarked capsule toy brand (an onomatopoeia name for the “gacha-pon” sound of the machine crank and tumbling capsule) has been running strong for over forty years, covering just about anything that can feasibly be made into a miniature – from company mascots and popular anime characters, to erasers and food items, to even highly realistic insects and lizards.
Lobster Moth, caterpillar (Diversity of Life on Earth – Caterpillars Vol. 2 by Bandai)
3.5 (10 votes)
For the most part, adult moths in the family Notodontidae (commonly referred to as the ‘prominents’) are relatively drab moths, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. There are exceptions, of course, but in general they are fairly non-descript (to the casual observer) brown and grey moths typical of those seen at a porch light on a warm, humid summer’s eve.
Bullet Ant (Diversity of Life on Earth – Ants by Bandai)
5 (5 votes)
The bullet ant (Paraponera clavata) is a notorious insect from the rainforests of Central and South America. It is often regarded as having one of the most painful stings of any insect, and currently has a rating of 4.0+ (the highest possible) on Schmidt’s Sting Pain Index.
Citrus Long-horned Beetle (Diversity of Life on Earth: Stag Beetles Vol. 4 by Bandai)
5 (2 votes)
The citrus long-horned beetle (Anoplophora chinensis) is a cerambycid beetle native to East Asia. Larvae develop in various hardwoods, and the beetle is considered a pest of several ornamental and commercial food plants, including citrus, pecan, apple, sycamore, willow, pear, mulberry, litchi, kumquat, fig, and many others.
Malayan Jungle Nymph (Ichiban Kuji World Insect Museum by Bandai Spirits)
5 (1 votes)
The Malayan jungle nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata) is a large phasmid (stick insect) endemic to the Malay Peninsula in Thailand, Singapore, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is sexually dimorphic, with the smaller males being 9-13 cm long and the larger females 14-17 cm long, with reports of some females reaching 25 cm in length.
Goliath Beetle (Diversity of Life on Earth: Beetles Vol. 3 by Bandai)
5 (4 votes)
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.
Figure Pictorial Book of Gakken Insect (Bandai)
5 (1 votes)
Today we will be looking at a rather fun set called Figure Pictorial Book of Gakken Insect (well, at least that’s the translation) by Bandai. The set was produced in 2003 and contains five species of Japanese arthropods. When I initially started focusing on arthropods, this was one of my ‘Holy Grail’ collections; luckily I was able to secure it fairly early on.
Southeast Asian Dead Leaf Mantis (Diversity of Life on Earth – Japanese Giant Mantis Vol. 2 by Bandai)
5 (1 votes)
Earlier this year I reviewed a pair of Japanese giant mantids (Tenodera aridifolia) from Bandai’s Diversity of Life on Earth Line. In October of this year, the second volume in the mantid series was released. As the name of the set suggests, there were two more figures of T.