Review: Spiders (K&M International - Bulk Sets)

Review of the complete set of Spiders by K&M - International, Bulk Sets (1997). I was completely unaware of this set until Roger pointed them out to me on the Sales and Trade pages on the STS forum, and Sebastian on that forum was nice enough to sell them to me.

There are 6 figures, 5 of which are I believe 'unique' figures (only representative of their species). They are typical K&M tube-sized figures. They are marked with a common name; the Latin names are of my assigning.

On to the figures:

1. desert tarantula, Aphonopelma chalcodes. One of the unique species and an animal I grew up with in Arizona. The tarantula in the Safari LTD Venomous Creatures TOOB is probably better attributed to A. hentzi.

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2. black widow, Latrodectus mactans. This is not a unique figure, having been made by Safari LTD (Smithsonian and Hidden Kingdom Insects), Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. (Venomous Spiders), Play Visions (Habitat Earth: Tarantulas and Spiders), Club Earth (Spiders to Go), and Discovery Channel (Deadly Kiss: Poisonous Animals), and I am sure many others (not to mention four other species in the genus I have!).

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3. African baboon spider, Pelinobius muticus. Another unique figure and the only African theraphosid I am familiar with! Sculpt is very similar to the desert tarantula, above.

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4. spiny orb-weaver, Gasteracantha cancriformis. The coolest one in any of these spider sets! I have a confession to make, I have often thought about pitching this species to Safari, namely because it occurs in southern FL (Safari is based out of Miami, FL). And I also secretly wondered if it would ever be a Spiders TOOB and if so, would this show up in it. And there was one all along!!!!

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5. Mabel orchard spider, Leucauge venusta. Not only is this a unique figure, but I believe the only figure of a member of the family Tetragnathidae (long-jawed orb-weaver); well, it's my first!!!

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6. St. Andrew's cross spider, Argiope keyserlingi, an Australian orb-weaver (how did the Yowies miss this one?)

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A very rare set too :)

The Gasteracantha spider is too cool!!!