GIANT INSECTS (Toy Major)

[bmathison1972]

I don't have much to do in this arena as I patiently wait for things to ship from Japan, so I thought I would take a break from my real entomological work on the Nearctic Elateridae and showcase some models by Toy Major.

These are very large insect figures, all produced by Toy Major in the late 1990s. They are very similar to their smaller tube-sized counterparts but are much bigger. All of these are at least 1 US foot (12 inches/30 cm) across their longest points.

I bought all of them except the mantis at a toy store in Tucson, AZ in 1999 or 2000. The mantis was purchased more recently on eBay and I was surprised when I got it that it was a TM figure (it was marketed as garden decor). I am not sure how many more were made. One note, the antennae on the grasshopper broke off. One broke off moving from Phoenix to Atlanta in 2007 and the other when I moved from Atlanta to Salt Lake City in 2016.

Since they are so big, I decided to take the pics on the patio of my apartment complex:

[BlueKrono]

The mantis looks like he's got his hands on backwards.

[bmathison1972]

The mantis looks like he's got his hands on backwards.

yes the tarsi appear to be going in the wrong direction from the femur.

[Beetle guy]

And the colourful stag beetle has an extra pair of claws 

[Isidro]

And the colourful stag beetle has an extra pair of claws 

?

The number of appendix in the stag beetle is maybe the only accurate thing in this whole set... What is extra here???

[bmathison1972]

And the colourful stag beetle has an extra pair of claws 

?

The number of appendix in the stag beetle is maybe the only accurate thing in this whole set... What is extra here???

I think he's referring to the penultimate tarsomeres which look kind of like claws. Nothing accurate about this set, but they are fun!

[Isidro]

Ah yes, they look like "double clawed". I understand now :-)