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.
Classification: Arthropods
Crucifix Crab, small (AAA)
4.5 (4 votes)
Review and images by Bruhmingo; edited by bmathison1972
My passion as a collector is most geared towards replicas cast from real specimens, and AAA is perhaps the best known producer of such models. AAA is a rather mysterious company that produced many of our favorite cast replicas. While this means exemplary detail, it is often incredibly difficult to identify the species a figure is representing, usually due to mislabeling or an inaccurate paint scheme.
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.
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)
4.7 (3 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.
Giant Tube Worm (MIU Deep Sea Odyssey 2 by Kaiyodo)
5 (3 votes)
“Life will find a way.” These words, spoken in the Jurassic Park franchise, are so poetic and beautiful in their simplicity. They are also very true, as, no matter where you are in the world, there is liable to be life, even in the most inhospitable locations. Thermal vents in the pelagic zone seems a bad spot to live in, yet life has found a way to live in this harsh environment and reap the benefits, such as this review’s subject, the Giant Tube worm (Riftia pachyptila), an annelid that lives by these vents, harvesting the minerals they spew out.
Emperor Scorpion (Wild Life Africa by Schleich)
4.6 (5 votes)
Native to the rainforests of equatorial West Africa, the emperor scorpion, Pandinus imperator, is one of the most familiar and popular scorpion species. Its large size, fearsome appearance, docile nature, and mild venom make it very popular in the pet trade. It should be no surprise than that it is the most commonly-made scorpion in the toy market.
Dung-rolling Scarab (Dung Beetle with Sound While Rolling the Ball by Kitan Club)
5 (1 votes)
Yes, that is the name of the collection…
The Great Pyramids of Egypt. What was their grand purpose and influence? Merely grandeur tombs for Egyptian royalty? Conduits for alien visitors? A regeneration site for En Sabah Nur? Or maybe they are just giant piles of cow sh*t! Yes, really! Ever notice how a pyramid is shaped like a cascading pile of cow dung?
Barnacles (Nature Techni Colour by Kitan Club)
5 (2 votes)
Today we will be looking at the complete Barnacles collection that was released by Kitan Club in 2012 as part of the Nature Techni Colour line. The set features 18 figures representing nine species of barnacles. The figures are either magnets, ‘strap’ figures, or are pins designed to be work on clothing or backpacks.
Green Christmas Beetle (Yowies Series 1, UK and Australian releases by Cadbury)
4 (1 votes)
This week Christmas is celebrated throughout much of the world. In trying to keep with holiday themes, I have decided to review a pair of green Christmas beetles (Anoplognathus punctulatus) by Cadbury that were released in both the Australian and UK Yowies collections in 1997. Members the genus Anoplognathus are commonly called ‘Christmas beetles’ as they tend to be abundant during Christmas time in Australia.
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.