Coleoptera - Beetles

[bmathison1972]

The march of the 'Bullybugs' (thanks, Susanne) continues with the European stag beetle, Lucanus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758), originally released in 1994. This species is not as commonly made as some of its Japanese/Asian cousins, but is still well-represented in toy/figure form. I have 12 figures that can be reliable attributed to this species.

Bullyland's figure is an impressive major male. Measuring 8.0 cm (not including legs nor mandibles), the figure is 1:1 for a large specimen (I have seen true monstrous specimens of this species in Southern Moravia, Czech Republic). The color and texture are very nice.

Like several others reviewed, this figure also has its dollar-store counterpart (see last two images). Interestingly, the dollar store figure has a slightly better scuplt (in terms of shape and contours), but less-realistic texture and colors.

On to the pics:











With its dollar-store counterpart:

[Isidro]

In fact theyr'e for sure coprines and not Dynastidae... the shape of pronotum is exactly those of Copris lunaris while the horn could be a match for Copris hispanus, and the shape of both and leg proportion matches with both, but not with Oryctes :-)

[Beetle guy]

I must agree with Isidro. The body proportions look indeed more like coprines, So do the colours. And O. nasicornis has no toothed cephalic horn.

[bmathison1972]

My original suspicions (above) also suggested a coprine [my original focus in entomology was coprophagous scarabs!]. It does look a lot like a Copris. The accompanying paperwork (which a friend on another forum still has) indicates 'Rhinoceros beetle (Dynastinae)' but the artist was clearly inspired by a Copris., and Bullyland being a German company, C. lunaris or C. hispanus are likely candidates!

Too bad I don't alter figures, one would make a great repaint opportunity to get a new genus in toy form!

[Beetle guy]

To bad I never saw them for sale over here. Even though being next to germany ;-)

[bmathison1972]

Walkaround of the giraffe stag beetle, Prosopocoilus giraffa (Olivier, 1789) by Kaiyodo Collection of Natural History, No. 1 (year unknown). I became aware of this figure thanks to Brett, who stumbled upon it on YAJ. It was very expensive, but it's hard to not pursue a Kaiyodo figure. According to Beetle Guy, there were several others in the set (which I am sure he will list and/or illustrate in this post). This species is the largest member of its genus and is distributed from India to Indonesia. It is commonly made by Japanese manufacturers (especially Sega).

The figure is a resin model kit. It comes in 21 pieces: head + pronotum; remainder of thorax + abdomen; 6 legs (minus tarsi); 6 tarsi; 2 antennae; 2 labial palps; 2 maxillary palps; a pair of galae. The tarsi are silver metal and the galae are essentially a wire brush; everything else is black resin. The attatchment points are all smooth; there are no pegs, holes, etc for attachment. As such, glue or another adhesive is necessary for assembly.

The two main body pieces are very heavy. I had to use a two-part epoxy to secure them (especially since the attatchment points were smooth). I also used the epoxy to attach the metal tarsi to the legs. The legs and mouthparts were attached with super glue. Because the species is naturally black, the only painting I did was the eyes, which I made grey. After the glue dried, I cleaned up excess glue with ethyl acetate and used satin varnish to protect the painted eyes and additional securing of the appendages.

The final product is 19.5 centimeters (including mandibles, but not legs), and the kit is advertised as being 2:1. It is a very large and impressive model! Because of the size, expense, and difficulties with securing parts I probably will not pursue others in this series, unless they represent unique or rarely-made species (of course, that's easy to say now...I give in easily...).

On to pics:

















final product:



alongside the boxed DeAgostini figure (which is molded from an actual specimen) and the Sega DX figure:

[Isidro]

Are you sure you inserted the mandibles correctly? In the last image, with the beetle being seen in profile, I would say that the mandibles are upside-down...

[bmathison1972]

Are you sure you inserted the mandibles correctly? In the last image, with the beetle being seen in profile, I would say that the mandibles are upside-down...

I think you are correct thanks. I just fixed them.

[AnimalToyForum]

Well spotted!
---
The wind up motor in this stag beetle reminds me very much of Zoids, which played a big part of my childhood (but I don't have them any more). Technically, Zoids could be regarded as animal toys, I suppose!

[AnimalToyForum]

It looks amazing! What an amazing job you did.

And now we know the origin of your avatar.

[Beetle guy]

It looks amazing! What an amazing job you did.

And now we know the origin of your avatar.

Thanks!

[Beetle guy]

Wow I completely missed this post, impressive!

[bmathison1972]

It is that time of the year again, when Halloween decor means more buggies for Blaine! OK, it is a little late for Halloween, but I only got this model today, a gift from a friend who picked it up at her local Michaels store in Minnesota a couple weeks before Halloween. It's a stag beetle. It is fairly stylized, but it seems to be influenced by Lucanus, and given the position of the mandibular teeth I am going with Lucanus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758). You can argue with the identification all you want, this is what I am going with  .

The model is very large and robust. It measures 16.0 cm without and 21.0 cm with the mandibles. It appears bronze but it is actually brown plastic with gold highlights (the gold paint is not very well applied and it flakes off if you are not careful). I had seen these online and I am actually glad it isn't true bronze (metal is one medium I don't collect in, bronze statuettes in particular).

The underside reveals hooks in a couple locations, indicating it was designed to hang on the wall. I'll put mine on the floor with other large plastic figures.

This is something only for taxa-specific collectors like me or fans of fun, novelty-style toys and figures, if you can tear yourself away from museum-quality replicas!

[bmathison1972]

Wow I completely missed this post, impressive!

Thanks. I was actually wondering why I had not heard from you 

[Beetle guy]

  I have the male and female Lucanus cervus of these, I bought them in a flowershop over here. Mine where coloured in the actual colours, I repainted them a bit. I post a pic of them tommorow.

[bmathison1972]

I have the male and female Lucanus cervus of these, I bought them in a flowershop over here. Mine where coloured in the actual colours, I repainted them a bit. I post a pic of them tommorow.

Oooo, a female too? Yes, please post yours! They were probably marketed to several stores catering to decorating both in Europe and USA.

[bmathison1972]

oh wow nice. I like the paint job on yours better. Michaels already pulled all of their online Halloween decor so I cannot see a female was available or not. But I will check next year.

Edit: a female was available (here: http://www.bogleech.com/halloween/hall18-michaels.html). Now I need to track one down!!!!!!!!!!!

[bmathison1972]

Walkaround of one of the more peculiar figures in my collection, a dung (rhinoceros?) beetle by Jasman Toys, original release date unknown. A little backstory on this figure. When I first started collecting insect replicas, I started with scarabaeoid beetles, and I started in 1998 or so. This was one of my earliest figures, and I believe when I first bought it, it was released (re-released?) in conjunction with the Disney movie, A Bug's Life. At some point I misplaced the toy, I think I just forgot to pack it up when I moved from Phoenix to Atlanta in 2007. Well, last weekend I was seeing what's new on eBay and I found it for sale, so I bought it and here it is again!

When I first bought it back in the late 1990s, I was not to savvy with manufacturers, and only now that I am reunited with it, did I realize it was produced by Jasman Toys!

As I said it's a peculiar figure. In fact it could just as easily represent a rhinoceros beetle rather than a dung beetle, but to me it looks more like a coprine (besides, when I bought my first one years ago, I was a specialist in dung scarabs ). First thing you will notice is that it lacks a head. The cephalic horn comes right out of the prothorax! Also, the first pair of legs do not come off of the prothorax (a common mistake in generic toy figures). It is a large, solid piece of plastic. It is 14.0 cm long (not including the horn) and 7.5 cm tall at its highest point.

This toy is really only for the most taxonomically specialized, or those interested in weird novelty-type figures. On to the pics:

[BlueKrono]

I know we've got some beetle experts in the group... Has there ever been a figure made of a dermestid beetle or their larvae?

[bmathison1972]

I know we've got some beetle experts in the group... Has there ever been a figure made of a dermestid beetle or their larvae?

I have at one time or another collected every beetle figure I was aware of, and I don't ever remember seeing anything reminiscent of a dermestid.