Blaine's Bug of the Day

Longwing butterflies in the genus, Heliconius.
These butterflies form complex mimicry rings, with each other and other butterflies, and as such are highly variable at the species level. Where possible I indicate the subspecies.

I. The zebra longwing, Heliconius charithonia.
Adult: Franklin Mint (Butterflies of the World)
Larva: unknown manufacturer [possibly Club Earth]

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1. Doug Walpus Art Studio [added 5/13/2017]

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II. Red postman, Heliconius erato. [added 5/13/2017]
One figure, a magnet by Doug Walpus Art Studio (apparently modeled after the subspecies H. e. chestertonii.)

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III. The common postman, Heliconius melpomene. [updated 5/13/2017]

1. Doug Walpus Art Studio
2. porcelain French feve from an unknown manufacturer.

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IV. Sara longwing, Heliconius sara. [added 5/13/2017]
One figure, a magnet by Doug Walpus Art Studio.

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The random number generator landed on one of the widows, so here they are! Five species, to date!

I. Red widow, Latrodectus bishopi.
1. Club Earth (Spiders to Go)
2. unknown manufacturer [from a set of primarily Club Earth knock-offs]

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II. Redback spider, Latrodectus hasseltii.
1. Science and Nature (Animals of Australia)
2. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (Venomous Spiders)

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III. Katipo, Latrodectus katipo.
One figure, by Cadbury (Yowies) [it's my understanding Science and Nature is releasing one this year to markets outside of New Zealand, so if all goes well, I should have another this year]

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IV. Eastern black widow, Latrodectus mactans.

A. Large figures by Safari LTD.
1. Hidden Kingdom Insects
2. Smithsonian Insects

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1. Large figure by Easter Unlimited Inc., sold as Halloween decor. [added 11/22/2017]

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B. Smaller figures.
1. Play Visions (Habitat Earth: Tarantulas and Spiders)
2. Discovery Channel (Deadly Kiss: Poisonous Animals)
3. K&M International (Spiders Bulk)
4. unknown manufacturers [from a set of primarily Club Earth knock-offs]
5. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (Venomous Spiders)
6. unknown manufacturer [yes, it's pink. But it has an hourglass!]

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V. The malmignatte, Latrodectus tredecemguttatus.
One figure, by Funrise Toys (World of Nature Insect Collection).

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The hover fly, Melangyna viridiceps.

One figure, by Cadbury (Yowies). One of the better Yowies and, to my knowledge, the only member of the family Syrphidae.

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The death's-head hawk moths in the genus Acherontia.

I. Acherontia atropos.
1. Paleo-Creatures (Amazing Moths)
2. Funrise Toys (World of Nature Insects Collection)

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II. Acherontia lachesis.
One figure, a larva, by Kaiyodo (Capsule Q Museum - Caterpillars).

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The Japanese luehdorfia, Luehdorfia japonica.

1. Kaiyodo (Choco Q Animatales)
2. Kabaya (Insect Directory)

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One last one for tonight, the rhinoceros beetle Dipelicus cantori.

One figure, by Sega.

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Well, we are just under 300 species to go! :)

Nice again :)

widukind wrote:

Nice again :)

Thanks Andreas, I am glad you are enjoying it :)

Birdwing butterflies in the genus Ornithoptera.

I. Cairns birdwing, Ornithoptera euphorion.

A. Large figures.
1. 4D Famemaster (Butterfly Collection)
2. unknown manufacturer

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B. Smaller figures.
1. Toy Major
2. unknown manufacturer [from a set of mostly Club Earth knock-offs)
3. US Toy
4. Cadbury (Yowies - UK release)*
5. Cadbury (Yowies - Australian release)*

*the two Cadbury figures are marketed as 'Cairns birdwing, Ornithoptera priamus' however the name priamus usually applied to the 'common green birdwing'. The accompanying text on the papers clearly refers to O. euphorion, so I suspect the scientific name supplied is in error. There are several examples of errors in the Latin name on Yowies papers, so I am going to assume the figures represent O. euphorion and not O. priamus.

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II. Goliath birdwing, Ornithoptera goliath.
One figure, by Kabaya (World Insect Series 1).

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III. Paradise birdwing, Ornithoptera paradisea.
One figure, by K&M International (Butterflies Nature Tube) [this is my ID, based more on wing shape rather than wing pattern].

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More Lepidoptera! No surprise, I have a lot of them identified to the genus and species levels...

Next up, the Indian awlking, Choaspes benjaminii.

One figure, a larva by Kaiyodo (Capsule Q Museum - Caterpillars).

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The lady beetle, Vibidia duodecimguttata.

One figure, by Kitan Club - Nature Techni Colour.

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The large true forester, Euphaedra sarcoptera.

One figure, by Toy Major. This is a tentative ID of mine, as this figure appears to be painted to represent the underside of E. sarcoptera. Painting the underside on the dorsum had been done several times!

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The ashy-gray lady beetle, Olla v-nigrum.

One figure, by Kitan Club - Nature Techni Colour.

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The extinct dragonfly, Protolindenia sp.

One figure, by Rebor (which was sold as an accessory to a Compsogmathus longipes figure).

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Time for more protozona. This time, members of the genera Euglena and Lepocinclis.

I. Euglena gracilis.

1. Kaiyodo (Microcosmos).

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2. Large model by EISCO Labs.
Note: this figure is only marketed at the genus level.

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II. Lepocinclis acus.

1. Epoch (Ecology of Plankton) [marketed as Euglena acus]

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2. Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (The Minimum Coexistence: Microbe) [marketed as E. acus]

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The arid lands honey ant, Myrmecocystus sp.

One figure, a winged individual by Club Earth (Ants and Termites).

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Pierid butterflies in the genus Anthocharis.

I. The orange-tip butterfly, Anthocharis cardamines.
One figure, by Kaiyodo (Birdtales).

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II. Gray marble, Anthocharis lanceolata. [added 2/18/2017]
One figure, from a set of 12 caterpillars by an unknown manufacturer. This is a tentative identification of mine.

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I can only repeat myself : WOW !!!!!

The Protolindenia is absolutely awesome, look at the wings

Oh, i rmember me on the little Kaiyodo butterfly :)

widukind wrote:

Oh, i rmember me on the little Kaiyodo butterfly :)

Thank you everyone. Yes, the Kaiyodo orangetip butterfly is on of my absolute favorite figures!

Another of the planktonic critters, the horsehair worm Phoronis sp.

Again, this is part of a taxon I do not normally collect, but since I collect Protozoa, other planktonic critters are fair game :)

One figure, by Epoch (Ecology of Plankton)

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The purseweb spider, Sphodros rufipes.

1. Club Earth (Spiders to Go)
2. unknown manufacturer [from a set of CE/PV/K&M knock-offs]

Note: this ID is mine, based on similarities to S. rufipes in The Golden Guide to Spiders and their Kin by Levi and Levi. Several of the CE spiders are painted to resemble species in that book.

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The first (of several) cicadas! First up, Cyclochila australasiae, the green grocer cicada.

One figure, by Cadbury (Yowies).

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The rhinoceros beetle, Theodosia viridiaurata.

One figure, by DeAgostini (World Insect Data Book).

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