Review of the Kitan Club Nature Techni Colour Giant Isopod, Bathynomus giganteus, Milne-Edwards, 1879. The figure was released in late December 2014. Bathynomus giganteus is the largest known species of isopods although it has been considered that other species within the same genus may rival it in size.
Classification: Arthropods
Golden-ringed Dragonfly (The Insects of Japan Vols. 1 and 3 by Yujin)
5 (2 votes)
The Golden-ringed dragonfly (in Japanese Oniyanma) Anotogaster sieboldii is the biggest dragonfly in Japan. It is also known as jumbo dragonfly or Siebold’s dragonfly. It is the largest species of dragonfly in Eastern Asia (Japan, China and the Korean Peninsula). It can reach a lenght of 100 mm. The A. sieboldii nymph lives three to five years, moulting up to ten times and growing as long as five centimeters during the process.
Female, male (flying) and nymph.
Snail-eating Ground Beetle (Capsule Q Museum: Japanese Animal Collection, Tohoku by Kaiyodo)
4.3 (4 votes)
The ground beetles are a large, cosmopolitan family of beetles (Carabidae) with more than 40,000 species worldwide. Many species of ground beetles (adults and larvae being predators of many invertebrates, including various pests) are considered beneficial organisms to humans.
Carabus blaptoides is a species ground beetles distributed in Russia and Japan having many subspecies.
Japanese Tiger Beetle (Choco Q Animatales Series 9 by Kaiyodo)
5 (3 votes)
The Japanese Tiger beetle Cicindela chinensis japonica is a subspecies of Cicindela chinensis, a species of ground beetles native to Asia. The real beetles size can reach 2 cm, the figurine is 3,5 cm (not including the legs and antennae).
Kaiyodo released the figurine of this beautiful beetle in their 9th ChocoQ Animatales series line up in 2004.
Smokybrown Cockroach (Capsule Q Museum: Sanitary Insect Pest Exhibition by Kaiyodo)
4 (2 votes)
Today we are reviewing the smokybrown cockroach, Periplaneta fulginosa, by Kaiyodo for the Sanitary Insect Pest Exhibition from 2015. A year later, Kaiyodo would release a nymph of this same species in the Sticky Tack Insect set (see the third image). Like most anthropophilic species, the smokybrown is native to Asia.
Cave Dwellers TOOB (Safari Ltd.)
4.3 (3 votes)
For my next review I thought I would do an overview of the Cave Dwellers TOOB released by Safari Ltd. in 2014. When this set was first released, I was excited because five of the eight figures are arthropods. Unfortunately I have misplaced four of those five, so I recently bought the entire set, which is good because now that I am building a synoptic collection I really wanted the three non-arthropods.
Eastern Lubber Grasshopper (Smithsonian Insects by Safari Ltd.)
5 (4 votes)
Review and photos by stargatedalek; edited by bmathison1972
Editor’s note: It gives me pleasure to post the first Blog review by longstanding forum member, stargatedalek. I have a confession to make; I had a sneaky suspicion this would be her first… :-). I actually intentionally have not reviewed it myself because I thought she’d be submitting it!
Orange-barred Sulfur (Hidden Kingdom Insects by Safari Ltd.)
4.3 (3 votes)
A lot of my posts for the Blog to date have been to introduce interesting lines or add some new broad taxa. But, it is time for me to go back to my entomological roots! So today I am reviewing the orange-barred sulfur (Phoebis philea) that was released by Safari Ltd.
Pill Scarab (Dango Mushi 04 by Bandai)
5 (2 votes)
Little is
known about the biology of this subfamily in the Scarabaeoidea beetle group Ceratocanthinae
(Coleoptera: Hybosoridae). A fast part of the known species are pantropical but
a few species are known from the temperate forest regions of North America,
South Africa and the south-eastern Palaearctic zone. Some of the species are
flightless.
Jewel Beetle (Insects of Japan Vol. 1 by Yujin)
5 (2 votes)
The only Jewel beetle, made by Yujin. For the ones new to animal figurine collecting; Yujin is an Japanese company that makes next to other types of toys outstanding animal figurines full of detail and always very realistic. They have produced a vast range of insects, fish and frogs, which I personally regard as one of the best fgurines around.
Red-clawed Crab (Revogeo by Kaiyodo)
5 (2 votes)
This review is one of my walkaround carryovers from the Animal Toy Forum, presenting the red-clawed crab (Chiromantes haematocheir) by Kaiyodo, which was released earlier this year as part of their Revogeo line. I cannot find too much information on the Revogeo line. It appears to be an offshoot from their Revlotech line, which features large articulated sci-fi and anime characters.
European Stag Beetle (Little Wonders by CollectA)
4.7 (3 votes)
Editor’s note: Time for brontodocus’ next contribution. This time, it is the European stag beetle, Lucanus cervus, by CollectA for their Insects line (which is now called Little Wonders, as it contains several non-arthropods such as reptiles and amphibians). Below is a copy of the original walkaround, which was posted shortly after the figure was released back in 2015.
Life Cycle of a Mosquito (Safariology by Safari Ltd.)
4 (4 votes)
Mosquitoes! They have been referred to as the most medically and economically destructive group of insects, due to their role in the transmission of disease-causing agents. They are responsible for the transmission of the agents of malaria, lymphatic filariasis, dirofilariasis, yellow fever, Chikingunya, dengue, West Nile, and many many others. Yet, they also play a very important role in freshwater ecosystems, as they are an important food source for freshwater invertebrates, fish, and birds.
Horseshoe Crab (Incredible Creatures by Safari Ltd)
4.6 (5 votes)
Horseshoe crabs of the order Xiphosura have been swimming the Earth’s oceans for the last 445 million years, and as a veteran writer for the Dinosaur Toy Blog, it only seemed appropriate that my first review for the ATB be on something as old (or older than) the subjects I’m used to writing about.
Mantis shrimp (AAA)
5 (3 votes)
Editor’s note: As one of the most prolific contributors to the Animal Toy Forum, Brontodocus has posted dozens of spectacular visual walk-arounds over the years. With the launch of the Animal Toy Blog he has kindly given the editors permission to migrate his walk-arounds from the forum to the blog. This post will therefore be the first of many!