Blaine's Bug of the Day

[bmathison1972]

violin beetle in the genus, Mormolyce:
just one figure, unfortunately by an unknown manufacturer.

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[bmathison1972]

The random number generator landed on one of the fireflies, so I decided to do all of them here!

I. eastern firefly, Photinus pyralis.
One figure, by XX.

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II. Genji firefly, Luciola cruciata.
1. Kaiyodo (Choco Q Animatales)
2. Kaiyodo (Natural Monuments of Japan)

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III. common glowworm, Lampyris noctiluca.
One figure, by Paleo-Creatures.

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IV. miscellaneous unidentified fireflies.
1. Chick-Fil-A Properties, Inc.
2. Wicked Cool Toys (Wild Kratts Creature Power Pack - Flyers Set)
3. New Ray

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[bmathison1972]

Emerald weevils in the genus Eupholus.

Two figures:
left: Play Visions (Exotic Beetles)
right: unknown manufacturer

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[bmathison1972]

Tarantulas in the genus Brachypelma.

I. Mexican red-kneed tarantula, Brachypelma smithi.

A. Large figures:

1. Safari LTD (Smithsonian Insects)

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2. Safari LTD (Hidden Kingdom Insects)

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3. Toy Major

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4. Bullyland [added 3/10/2017]

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B. Medium-sized figures:
1. Blip Toys (Nature's Wonders HD)
2. Think Toys (Safari Adventure)
3. CollectA
4. unknown manufacturer (sold as Halloween decor)

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C. Smaller figures:
1. Kaiyodo (Toxic and Dangerous Animals)
2. unknown manufacturer
3. Play Visions (Habitat Earth: Tarantulas and Spiders)
4. Little Critterz (Little Critterz)
5. Safari LTD (Authentics Insects)

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II. red-rump tarantula, Brachypelma vagans.
One figure, by Furuta (Chocoegg Funny Animals)

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[bmathison1972]

OK, last one tonight. The random number generator landed on one the of  trilobites, so here are ALL of my trilobites!

I. Genus Asaphus. [added 9/3/2017]

A. Asaphus cornutus.
One figure, by Paleocasts.



B. Asaphus kowalewskii.
One figure, by Paleocasts.



II. Ceraurinella typa.
One figure, by Kaiyodo (The Study Room)

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III. Eldredgeia venustus. [added 9/3/20017]
One figure, by Paleocasts.



IV. Harpes sp. [added 9/3/2017]
One figure, by Paleocasts.



V. Hollardops sp. [added 9/3/2017]
One figure, by Paleocasts (but this figure makes me wonder if the Bullyland figure below was also intended to be Hollardops.)



VI. Kettneraspis clavatus.
One figure by Cadbury (Yowies - Lost Kingdoms)

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VII. Naraoia sp.
Note: the taxonomic placement of this genus is under debate but it is being more and more commonly placed among the trilobites.
One figure, by Safari LTD (Cambrian TOOB)

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VIII. Olenoides serratus.
1. Royal Ontario Museum (Creatures of the Burgess Shale)
2. Favorite Co. (Cambrian Creatures Mini Model - Burgess Shale Series)

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3. CollectA (Prehistoric Marine Tube) [added 7/24/2017]



IX. Phacops sp. [added 9/3/2017]
One figure, by Paleocasts.



X. Psychopyge spp.
1. Geoworld
2. Kaiyodo (Dinotales)
3. Kaiyodo (Dinotales)-variant

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XI. Raymondites spp.
Two figures, both by Safari LTD. The larger one is from the Safariology Fossils Collection; the smaller one is from the Ancient Fossils TOOB.

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XII. Triarthrus spp.
1. Kaiyodo (Dinotales)
2. Kaiyodo (Capsule Q Museum: Encyclopedia of the Paleozoic)

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XIII. Tricrepicephalus spp.
One figure, by Safari LTD (Cambrian TOOB).

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XIV. miscellaneous unidentified trilobites.
1. Geoworld
2. Shapeways (Reaper Media)
3. Bullyland [this might be modeled after Hollardops, above]

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[brontodocus]

Wow, how much this thread has grown within just a little over a week!

Now we have our first orthopteran, the giant red-winged grasshopper Tropidacris cristata, by Furuta (Chocoegg Funny Animals Series):

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I would like to suggest an alternative id, Blaine, I have this one in my list as Taeniopoda reticulata. Tropidacris cristata is much more elongate and longer winged and I'm not sure if that one can also be so intensely purple coloured as the Furuta figure shows.

B. Miscellaneous smaller figures. The adults here all seem to represent the subspecies, H. glaucippe formosana:
1. unknown manufacturer (from a set of Club Earth knock-offs)
2. unknown (vintage tin pin from Japan)
3. K&M International (Mini Butterfly Polybag)
4. Safari LTD (Butterflies of the World Collectors Case)
5. US Toy
6. Kaiyodo (Capsule Q Museum - Caterpillars 3)

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The elongated anterior wings of No. 2 are really reminiscent of Papilio antimachus or some Ornithoptera, however the colours wouldn't match! It seems initially it was planned to make this a different butterfly species but then they decided to paint it to represent Hebomoia glaucippe!

Oh, wow, and somehow I didn't notice Jetoar has also made a glowworm! And what a nice one, too!

[bmathison1972]

The elongated anterior wings of No. 2 are really reminiscent of Papilio antimachus or some Ornithoptera, however the colours wouldn't match! It seems initially it was planned to make this a different butterfly species but then they decided to paint it to represent Hebomoia glaucippe!

You cannot read too literally into these. These companies copy each other, randomly matching shapes and colors. In this case, I took color over shape (same with the US Toy figure).

And yes T. reticulata is a much better ID; will make the change! [actually I might have had this name at one point but must have forgotten when I re-researched it.]

[bmathison1972]

Jumping spiders!

I. Adanson's house spider, Hasarius adansoni.
One figure, by Kaiyodo (Sticky Tack Insect Set)

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II. Miscellaneous jumping spiders..

A. Large figure by Safari LTD (Hidden Kingdom Insects).

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B. Smaller figure by Cadbury (Yowies).

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[bmathison1972]

Well, after all these posts, the random number generator FINALLY landed on a crustacean. Surprising too, considering how many I have identifiable to the genus or species level.

First up, the slipper lobster Ibacus ciliatus:
left: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (Shrimps and Crabs Collection)
right: Epoch

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[bmathison1972]

Scorpions in the genus Buthus:

I. Spanish scorpion, Buthus ibericus.
One figure, by Paleo-Creatures (Little Treasures of Europe)

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II. Common yellow scorpion, Buthus occitanus.
One figure, by Kaiyodo (Souvenirs Entomologiques)

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[bmathison1972]

The two-spotted ground beetle, Anthia thoracica.
One figure, by an unknown manufacturer (this set had some unusual beetles, including the previously-posted Mormolyce.

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[bmathison1972]

Butterflies in the genus Delias:

I. Common Jezebel, Delias eucharis.
One figurine, by Steal Street [note: the dorsal surface of this figure is painted as its underside should appear!]

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II. Union Jack butterfly, Delias mysis.
top: Club Earth (Butterflies to Go)
bottom: unknown manufacturer [from a set of Club Earth knock-offs]

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[bmathison1972]

Butterflies in the genus Evenus.

I. Crowned hairstreak, Evenus coronata.
1. Toy Major
2. unknown manufacturer [from a set of Club Earth knock-offs]
3. K&M International (Butterflies Nature Tube)
4. unknown manufacturer

note: these identifications are all mine, based on the Club Earth series that apparently started the trend.

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5. Doug Walpus Art Studio. [added 5/12/2016]

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II. Regal hairstreak, Evenus regalis.
One figure, by Safari LTD (Butterflies TOOB)

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[brontodocus]

A. Large figure by Safari LTD (Hidden Kingdom Insects).

Hi Blaine, I just looked up the figure in my database and there is a possible species id for it - I've listed it as cf. Metaphidippus protervus det. Mathison (I think the species is now known as Pelegrina proterva) so the id is actually yours! And I always found your id convincing, especially because of those whitish lateral margins.

[bmathison1972]

A. Large figure by Safari LTD (Hidden Kingdom Insects).

Hi Blaine, I just looked up the figure in my database and there is a possible species id for it - I've listed it as cf. Metaphidippus protervus det. Mathison (I think the species is now known as Pelegrina proterva) so the id is actually yours! And I always found your id convincing, especially because of those whitish lateral margins.

Yes I remember I once called this a Metaphidippus, but I took a step back for this thread. My ID was simply by comparing images in the Golden Guide to Spiders by Levi and Levi

[bmathison1972]

Next up, the fiddler crabs!!! Note: this post was updated 10/14/2017 to correspond to the taxonomy on the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) data base.

I. Austruca lactea.
1. Wing Mau (Aquatic Museum)
2. Epoch

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II. Gelasimus tetragonon.
1. Kaiyodo (CapsuleQ Japanese Crabs Collection)
2. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (Shrimps and Crabs Collection) - female
3. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (Shrimps and Crabs Collection) - male

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III. Gelasimus vomeris.
1. Cadbury (Yowies - UK release)
2. Cadbury (Yowies - Australian release)

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IV. Paraleptuca crassipes.
1. Paleo-Creatures (Unknown Depths)
2. Wing Mau (Aquatic Museum)

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V. Tubuca arcuata.
1. Wing Mau (Aquatic Museum)
2. Koro Koro (Toba Aquarium)

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VI. unassigned fiddler crabs.
1. Play Visions (Habitat Earth: Crabs)
2. Little Critterz (Little Critterz)

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[bmathison1972]

man, that random number generator loves the Lepidoptera...

Cramer's Mesene, Mesene phareus.
1. unknown manufacturer (from a set of Club Earth knock-offs)
2. Toy Major
3. US Toy

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[bmathison1972]

The random number generator landed on one of the phasmids, so here are the 'stick' insects (the 'leaf' insects in the genus Phyllium will get their own post when the time comes).

I. Lord Howe Island stick insect, Drycocelus australis.
One figure, by Science and Nature (Animals of Australia)

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II. Macrania tsudai.
One figure, by Kaiyodo (Choco Q Animatales)

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III. Large, unidentified figure by Imperial Toys.

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[bmathison1972]

The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus:

Two figures, a female + male pair by Merial

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[bmathison1972]

The cruiser butterfly, Vindula arsinoe ada.

One figure, by Cadbury (Yowies)

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