The insect life of Collecta ;-)

I have always been fascinated by the elastic way CollectA sees the world of insects  
Having just taken some pictures for "Identify your Collecta", I thought others might like to enjoy this un-orthodox class of animals  

Bearded Dragon :
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Bumble bee:
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Rhinoceros beetle :
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Stag Beetle :
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Tarantula :
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I took two pictures of the frilled lizard, - which one do you like best ?  
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Red eyed tree frog :
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Grasshopper :
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Dragonfly :
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Scorpion :
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Thorny devil :
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Praying mantis :
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Ladybug :
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Tortoieshell butterfly :
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Monarch butterfly :
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This year's insect from CollectA is chameleon

Naming series is actually a hard task. How to call that series with a short, simple and suggestive name? Most insects series are wrongly named. As long as there is a scorpion or a spider on it, it is already wrong once these are not insects. Arthropods could work in a more correct way but surely not a good name to put in the market. CollectA started with 6 figures, 4 insects and two arachnids. A very traditional start for this kind of collections. But soon, they introduced a frog and even the eventual name of Arthropods collection would result wrong. Despite the misleading name, I like the way this series is conceived. Your pictures are wonderful as always and you are again contributing to the collecting community. In our village, there is surely a street with your name.
I like best the second picture of the collared lizard, I think it works better for identification purposes.

Are very detailed ,many variety and nice colors.

congrats

Lizards are insects? Come on, CollectaA.
But the Bee and the Praying mantis are nice and i hope for more insect figures. In the 2018-wish-thread are some of my wishes.

Beautieful CollectA figurines :)

Thankyou, Roger, Fernando, Tup and Andreas

Roger wrote:

.....
I like best the second picture of the collared lizard, I think it works better for identification purposes.

Thanks, Roger .

A good idea to present CollectA's insect serie like this. You show us wonderful photos of very nice models, but I notice that CollectA has given the Monarc butterfly only 4 legs. How can CollectA make such a mistake?

Thankyou, Tove

Tove wrote:

.......but I notice that CollectA has given the Monarc butterfly only 4 legs. How can CollectA make such a mistake?

Gosh ! You are right
I KNEW there was something not completely right about this model, but couldn't tell what it was

SUSANNE wrote:

Thankyou, Tove

Tove wrote:

.......but I notice that CollectA has given the Monarc butterfly only 4 legs. How can CollectA make such a mistake?

Gosh ! You are right
I KNEW there was something not completely right about this model, but couldn't tell what it was

Nymphalid butterflies often stand on 4 legs, they are often known as four-footed butterflies. The extra pair is often curled up or are very reduced once as insects, they have obviously 6 legs. I can't see the extra pair but I believe the company was aware of it and in my opinion, this feature makes this Monarch butterfly more accurate then many other figures we see with 6 "functional" legs instead.

WOW !!! We always learn something here

SUSANNE wrote:

WOW !!! We always learn something here

Sorry CollectA. I am a lot wiser now! Thanks Roger!

From today this Monarch butterfly will have a place in the display on the top of my aquarium.... for a while.
I have had it stored long enough.

Tove wrote:

A good idea to present CollectA's insect serie like this. You show us wonderful photos of very nice models, but I notice that CollectA has given the Monarc butterfly only 4 legs. How can CollectA make such a mistake?

Yes, the figure is correct. Monarchs have only 4 'functional' legs, as Roger pointed out. Interestingly, the CollectA small tortoiseshell butterfly has SIX legs when it too should only have 4!!!

I have a bias for the Bearded Dragon Even if it seems to have only three functional legs

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Kikimalou wrote:

I have a bias for the Bearded Dragon    Even if it seems to have only three functional legs  

Indeed!

Roger wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

Thankyou, Tove  

Tove wrote:

.......but I notice that CollectA has given the Monarc butterfly only 4 legs. How can CollectA make such a mistake?

Gosh ! You are right
I KNEW there was something not completely right about this model, but couldn't tell what it was

Nymphalid butterflies often stand on 4 legs, they are often known as four-footed butterflies. The extra pair is often curled up or are very reduced once as insects, they have obviously 6 legs. I can't see the extra pair but I believe the company was aware of it and in my opinion, this feature makes this Monarch butterfly more accurate then many other figures we see with 6 "functional" legs instead.

Not all Nymphalids: ONLY DANAIDS STAND ON FOUR LEGS. That is because their front legs are atrophied. Vice-Roi is a Nymphalid, but stands on six legs. So is Limenitis arthemis. And it also stands on six legs. Are you sure the Tortoiseshell stands on four legs?

Bowhead Whale wrote:

Roger wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

Thankyou, Tove  

Tove wrote:

.......but I notice that CollectA has given the Monarc butterfly only 4 legs. How can CollectA make such a mistake?

Gosh ! You are right
I KNEW there was something not completely right about this model, but couldn't tell what it was

Nymphalid butterflies often stand on 4 legs, they are often known as four-footed butterflies. The extra pair is often curled up or are very reduced once as insects, they have obviously 6 legs. I can't see the extra pair but I believe the company was aware of it and in my opinion, this feature makes this Monarch butterfly more accurate then many other figures we see with 6 "functional" legs instead.

Not all Nymphalids: ONLY DANAIDS STAND ON FOUR LEGS. That is because their front legs are atrophied. Vice-Roi is a Nymphalid, but stands on six legs. So is Limenitis arthemis. And it also stands on six legs. Are you sure the Tortoiseshell stands on four legs?

Wrong. All nymphalids have four functional (standing) legs, even the two you mentioned. There might be varying degrees of reduction but all have reduced forelegs, at least those you mentioned and illustrated above

bmathison1972 wrote:

Bowhead Whale wrote:

Roger wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

Thankyou, Tove  

Tove wrote:

.......but I notice that CollectA has given the Monarc butterfly only 4 legs. How can CollectA make such a mistake?

Gosh ! You are right
I KNEW there was something not completely right about this model, but couldn't tell what it was

Nymphalid butterflies often stand on 4 legs, they are often known as four-footed butterflies. The extra pair is often curled up or are very reduced once as insects, they have obviously 6 legs. I can't see the extra pair but I believe the company was aware of it and in my opinion, this feature makes this Monarch butterfly more accurate then many other figures we see with 6 "functional" legs instead.

Not all Nymphalids: ONLY DANAIDS STAND ON FOUR LEGS. That is because their front legs are atrophied. Vice-Roi is a Nymphalid, but stands on six legs. So is Limenitis arthemis. And it also stands on six legs. Are you sure the Tortoiseshell stands on four legs?

Wrong. All nymphalids have four functional (standing) legs, even the two you mentioned. There might be varying degrees of reduction but all have reduced forelegs, at least those you mentioned and illustrated above

Vice-Roi and Limenitis arthemis must not have their front legs that reduced, then. Because there are plenty of them in my region in Summer and their front legs are far from being as reduced as those of Monarchs.

They are still not functional for walking or standing (not that butterflies walk...). They are much reduced compared to the middle and hind legs

bmathison1972 wrote:

They are still not functional for walking or standing (not that butterflies walk...). They are much reduced compared to the middle and hind legs

Butterflies sometimes walk. In September, because of the canicule, there were thousands of Vanessa cardui in my province (they even made the TV news). I was seeing them everywhere. And I saw them walking... on flowers. Yes, on flowers, while feeding. Not that they walked very fast or very much, but they did walk short distances on the flowers. For example, I saw a specimen taking steps around the heart of one of my black-eyed susans to find different spots to feed on. I saw another one litterally climbing on white flowers (which I don't know the variety name) to feed on more than one. And I saw a third one walking away another butterfly to avoid a fight on those same white flowers. None of them made more than a few steps, but if those Belles-Dames were not "walking", I don't know how to call it.