Blaine's Bug of the Day

[bmathison1972]

Cool crabs, but I'm really drooling over those dioramas. Did you build those?

No I bought them with Brett's help on the Japanese auctions. I have four styles, but need a rocky/desert one too, and maybe a sandy beach/shore

[bmathison1972]

Nature Techni Colour's collection of glow-in-the-dark mushrooms makes an excellent background for the pleasing fungus beetle, Micrencaustus lunulata (MacLeay, 1825) (Play Visions: Exotic Beetles), a species of Erotylidae from southeast Asia.

The fungi, clockwise from top-right [including the mushroom the beetle is sitting on]: Omphalotus japonicus, Mycena lux-coeli, Mycea sp. 1, Mycena sp. 2, Pleurotus eugrammus.

[Beetle guy]

 On the 4D-Master rip off model of Rhaetulus speciosus, you need to swap the mandibles and antennae!
Beetle police is watching! ;-)

[bmathison1972]

On the 4D-Master rip off model of Rhaetulus speciosus, you need to swap the mandibles and antennae!
Beetle police is watching! ;-)

Actually no I do not. What is one box for the 4D Master figure is wrong; my figure has the mandibles and antennae oriented correctly for how the species should look [perhaps the angle just isn't clear in my BOTD image] (the antennae could probably go either way but the mandibles are correct)

[Beetle guy]

On the 4D-Master rip off model of Rhaetulus speciosus, you need to swap the mandibles and antennae!
Beetle police is watching! ;-)

Actually no I do not. What is one box for the 4D Master figure is wrong; my figure has the mandibles and antennae oriented correctly for how the species should look [perhaps the angle just isn't clear in my BOTD image] (the antennae could probably go either way but the mandibles are correct)

Sorry, I meant the antennae go in the little sockets behind the mandibles, not in between the mandibles! You will have to lift the upper part of the head for this. trust me 
Like this



Fun fact is that the original 4-D Masters publicity photo of this one has no antennae and the mandibles upside down !!!
http://www.famemaster.com/product_detail-pid-58-id-428

[bmathison1972]

OH, gotcha, ok

[dinocat62]

I have a set of caterpillars with name on bottom:

American Painted Lady      
Anise Swallowtail      
Cloudless Giant Sulphur      
Creamy Marblewing      
Falcate Orangetip      
Gulf Fritillary      
Mylitta Crescentspot      
Phoebus Parnassian      
Pipevine Swallowtail      
Queen      
Zebra Swallowtail      

No photo hosting account. Maybe I could email a photo to someone?

[bmathison1972]

I have a set of caterpillars with name on bottom:

American Painted Lady      
Anise Swallowtail      
Cloudless Giant Sulphur      
Creamy Marblewing      
Falcate Orangetip      
Gulf Fritillary      
Mylitta Crescentspot      
Phoebus Parnassian      
Pipevine Swallowtail      
Queen      
Zebra Swallowtail      

No photo hosting account. Maybe I could email a photo to someone?

That's very cool! I have the Phoebus and the Zebra, and I have others of some of these species that were from knock-off sets (from what I can tell, this assortment has been done 4+ times).
Please email me a pic (you should have my email; PM me if you don't).
This set might help me put names on some of the mystery ones I have from knock-off sets [I have two complete sets, both have some of most of these species]

Did you get the set recently? Anyway for me to obtain a set?

By the way, no one is completely sure who made the set with the names. Do you know the manufacturer of yours? Theories include Club Earth and K&M

thanks!

[dinocat62]

I've had them for many years. I was looking at them last night and realized they weren't PV as I had assumed. No idea about the manufacturer. I will send you a pic.

[bmathison1972]

With my cool, new acquisition it is time to revisit the cecropia moth, Hylaphora cecropia (Linnaeus, 1758). Interestingly, only one of these is a plastic/PVC toy figure! We have a magnet figurine by Doug Walpus Art Studio and a handmade model by Jetoar (Paleo-Creatures). Then there is the recent figurine of unknown origin on the flower! The very small figure is a porcelain French feve. The only figure from the familiar toy manufacturers in the large caterpillar by Safari LTD (Smithsonian Insects).

[bmathison1972]

Descending Dynastes! This is a size comparison of 27 figures of Dynastes hercules (Linnaeus 1758). This does not include winged/flying figures, boxed figures, figures on large bases, etc (as such it is not ALL of the figures in my collection; there are about 8-10 not shown here]). They are descending from biggest to smallest! I did this a few years ago when I had fewer members of this species.

1. Subarudo
2. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Beetles 2017)
3. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Beetles 2017 - melanic)
4. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Beetles 2016)
5. Sega (DX)
6. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Beetles 2003)
7. Tedco Toys [adult from life cycle set]
8. unknown [dollar store figure]
8. 4D Master (Beetle Collection)
10. Colorata (Tropical Rain Forest Rhinoceros Beetles)
11. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Insects 2017)
12. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (Biology of the Amazon)
13. unknown [dollar store figure]
14. F-toys (Insect Hunter Beetle and Stag Beetle - 2017)
15. Maruka (The Strongest Beetle Legend)
16. Sega [blue variant]
17. Sega
18. Sega (Mushi King)
19. Hayakwa Toys (Insects Collection - Special) [large]
20. ShanTrip
21. Kaiyodo (Wonder Figure Collection)
22. Furuta (Chocoegg Funny Animals Series 1)
23. Hayakwa Toys (Insects Collection - Special) [small]
24. Sega [magnet]
25. Sega [magnet - blue variant]
26. Sega
27. Sega

[sbell]

That's awesome! I don't think, even before I reduced my collection, that I had or 27 of any one species!

Spotted hyena might be the most frequent, but even then not even close.

Okay, check that...if my database is correct, I have 26! If I can get my hands on the PNSO one...or count the non-toy ones...I'd be at about 30!

[bmathison1972]

That's awesome! I don't think, even before I reduced my collection, that I had or 27 of any one species!

Spotted hyena might be the most frequent, but even then not even close.

Okay, check that...if my database is correct, I have 26! If I can get my hands on the PNSO one...or count the non-toy ones...I'd be at about 30!

I probably have 45-50 Allomyrina dichotoma, because some companies (F-toys, T-TARTs) just keep releasing them. It's to a point where I don't retain the A. dichotoma in the annual F-toys Beetle Hunter sets LOL

[Beetle guy]

Should I be proud or ashamed to say... I have even more of D.Hercules  LOL

Speaking of D. Hercules. I found out that this years TAKARA Tomy gray D. hercules is the same as the one they released years ago in a set containing ten(!!) The none beetle in the set was the Asian hornet then.

[Isidro]

Having multiple kinds of same species is not my type of collecting, but the effect is amazing!

[Beetle guy]

Having multiple kinds of same species is not my type of collecting, but the effect is amazing!

They do make colour variants and even subspecies. 

[bmathison1972]

Ascending Allomyrina! The Descending Dynastes was so much fun now let us go in the opposite direction with another species, Allomyrina dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1771). There are 10 figures not shown here, those are boxed figures, flying figures, and a couple female specimens.

1. unknown [possible dollhouse decor]
2. Club Earth (Backyard Bugs)
3. Sega
4. Sega
5. Sega [magnet figure]
6. Sega
7. Sega
8. Sega
9. Hawakya Toys (Insects Collection - Special) -small
10. Kabaya (World Insect Series 1)
11. Kaiyodo (Choco Q Animatales Series 10)
12. Kaiyodo (Insects Gather to Sap - Night Feast of Midsummer)
13. Maruka (The Strongest Beetle Legend)
14. Kabaya (Insect Directory)
15. Kayakwa Toys (Insects Collection - Special) - large
16. Sega (Mushi King)
17. Colorata (Tropical Rain Forest Rhinoceros Beetles)
18. Sega (fighting beetles - black)
19. Sega (fightint beetles - brown)
20. unknown
21. Sega
22. Rement
23. Kitan Club - Nature Techni Colour (Nature of Japan Vol. 2)
24. CollectA
25. Yujin (Insects of Japan)
26. F-toys (Insect Hunter Beetle and Stag Beetle - 2011)
27. F-toys (Insect Hunter Beetle and Stag Beetle - 2014) - black
28. F-toys (Insect Hunter Beetle and Stag Beetle - 2014) - brown
29. MTC Trading Company (Creature Collection)
30. Sega (DX)
31. Subarudo
32. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
33. unknown
34. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Beetles - 2017)
35. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (B.I.G. Insects - 2015)
36. K&M International (Wild Republic Insects Polybag)

[Halichoeres]

That's a very striking presentation!

[Beetle guy]

Number 29 and 33 LOL

[bmathison1972]

OK, I am either feeling creative or crazy, but here I am presenting the March of the Ants. These are my non-winged/non-flying adult ants (although it looks like I may have missed one or two...).

Clockwise, from largest to smallest; they are listed by the manufacturer and the scientific name, if known, is in brackets:

Heller [Formica rufa]
Becker & Meyer - Amazing Ant
K&M International - Insects Polybag [Camponotus species]
Safari LTD - Kidden Kingdom Insects [Solenopsis invicta]
unknown manufacturer
4D Master [Myrmecia species]
4D Master
Rubie's Costume Company - Night Creatures: Giant Insects
Learning Resources - Jumbo Insects
unknown manufacturer
K&M International - Insect Bucket [large]
Toy Major
unknown manufacturer
Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. [Camponotus japonicus]
Safari LTD - life cycle
unknown manufacturer
Insect Lore - life cycle
Club Earth [Caponotus texanus]
Club Earth [Acromyrmex species]
Club Earth [Crematogaster lineolata]
Club Earth [Pheidole megacephala]
unknown manufacturer
unknown manufacturer
unknown manufacturer
Epoch [Camponotus japonicus - queen]
Safari LTD - Insects TOOB
Kaiyodo - Capsule Q Animatales - Foreign Organisms & New Friends [Linepithema humile]
unknown manufacturer
unknown manufacturer
unknown manufacturer
K&M International - Insects Nature Tube
Battat Terra - Insect World
unknown manufacturer
unknown manufacturer
Epoch [Camponotus japonicus - worker 1]
Epoch [Camponotus japonicus - worker 2]
Epoch [Camponotus japonicus - worker 3]
K&M International - Insect Bucket [small]
Groovy Tube Books - Bug Blast
unknown manufacturer
Toy Major
Funrise Toys - World of Nature Insect Collection [Pheidole megacephala]
Toy Major - Animal Planet Head Animal Tube - Insects
K&M International - Itsy Bitsies
unknown manufacturer
Funrise Toys - World of Nature Insect Collection [Dinoponera species]
unknown manufacturer [Dinoponera species]
DVS
Bullyland [mini]
Safari LTD - Good Luck Minis