Last year I reviewed a fun novelty set called Cute Silkworm by Tarlin. The set included four stylized figures of silkworm moths representing the ecdysis process. In 2025 they reissued that set with a slightly different color for the moths (light beige rather than pure white). Later in 2025 they produced another ‘Cute’ set, and the focus of today’s review, Cute Spider!
Brand: Epoch/Tarlin
Cute Silkworm (Tarlin)
3.8 (6 votes)
Bombyx mori, the domestic silkworm moth, is a wholly domesticated species of insect. The origin of B. mori is unknown, but is believed to be descended from an extinct moth that shares a common ancestor with the wild silk moth, B. mandarina. Domestication is thought to have originated in China over 5,000 years ago.
Japanese Carpenter Ants (Epoch)
5 (2 votes)
The Japanese carpenter ant (Camponotus japonicus) is a widely-distributed species that occurs throughout much of East Asia, from Pakistan and Mongolia, east to China, Russia (eastern Siberia), and the Philippines, and Japan. Like other carpenter ants, colonies, which can consist of thousands of individuals, occurs in dead and decaying wood, such as logs and the dead, hollowed-out part of standing trees.
Dog-faced Puffer (Earth Life Journey by Epoch)
4.3 (3 votes)
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
Pufferfish and porcupinefish belong to the order Tetraodontiformes, which also includes the ocean sunfish, spikefish, file and triggerfish, and the box and cowfish. They can be found in marine, brackish, or freshwater environments depending on the species (porcupinefish are only in marine environments) and are characterised by their ability to ‘puff up’ when threatened.
Life Cycle of a Honey Bee (Tarlin)
4.7 (3 votes)
Today we are looking at an interesting collection from a company called Tarlin (I must admit, I had never heard of them before learning about this set). The set, which came out recently this year, is simply called ‘Bees’ and features developmental stages and brood chambers of the western honey bee, Apis mellifera.