Sound of Autumn (Dreams Come True, LTD.)

Review of a set of crickets and katydids called Sound of Autumn by Dreams Come True, LTD, originally released in 2004. At the time of the initial writing, I have only five of the eight figures in the set. I hope to complete this set for sure! The theme is singing orthopteroids, and features eight crickets and katydids. Each figure comes permanently attached in a plastic cage (see first image). You can push a button on the side of the cage and it plays the sound the animal makes! The batteries in mine must have been dead as none made sound (or maybe batteries were not included - I did not feel like unscrewing the bottom to find out).

I do not like to display figures in captivity, so I physically removed them, which meant irreparably damaging the cages. The insects are attached by a rubber extension which was easy to cut off. The individual insects are small, including appendages they are roughly 3.4-4.0 cm long (to put things in perspective, the cages are 5.5 cm x 4.0 cm x 3.5 cm. They are a solid piece relatively soft plastic. Nice detail given their size.

Each figure also comes with a card with the scientific name and a piece of candy. I am so grateful Latin names were included. And of the first five I have, not only are they all new species, they are all new genera! Orthopteroids are not often marketed at the species level, so this is a nice treat!

First an individual box, figure still in the cage, and the accompanying paper:

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Next the liberated crickets:

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On to the figures, in the order they are labeled as on the packaging:

3. Mecopoda nipponensis.

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4. Velarifictorus aspersus.

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5. Dianemobius nigrofasciatus [marketed as Pteronemobius nigrofasciatus).

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7. Xenogryllus marmoratus. I love the raised wings on this one!!!

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8. Loxoblemmus doenitzi.

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Now...to get the remaining three!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with you, beautiful raised wings on Xenogryllus marmoratus.

Congrats.

Very very interesting again

WOW !!! This is surely exceptionel !
Both models and the culture it shows

Thankyou very much for sharing

I'd surely love to watch a video where we could listen to them singing. It is a pity they were not working or you could make the video to perpetuate it before liberating the figures. I like the concept. I am not sure they promote that we should use these insects in cages or if it is exactly the opposite giving us a funny alternative to the real ones. I hope you can find the remaining ones, keep your ears tuned.