"Few endeavors, if any at all, I find to be inherently mature or inherently immature. Maturity is neither defined by one's particular preferences nor by one's particular activities; rather, it is defined by the strength of one's character."
― Criss Jami
Every so often I search online for tiger beetle collectibles ― sadly, there isn't much out there. Recently, though, I came across these stunning anatomically accurate models from Bandai Gashapon in Japan. They are available in the US from BigBadToyStore, which is where I ordered mine. The models depict Cicindela chinensis japonica, commonly known as the Japanese Tiger Beetle, though they could be repainted to represent North American species. I won't do that with these two, but maybe I'll get a few more and give it a try.
They're snap-together and easy to assemble. Most of the parts are moveable, so they can be put into any number of poses. As you can see above, I put one of them in a flight pose. The stands are included, too. Though I've never photographed a tiger beetle in flight, that really is what they look like, Search google on "flying tiger beetle" and you'll see!
The four-insect kit also included two Sabertooth Longhorn Beetles (Macrodontia cervicornis), which are found in the rain forests of South America. I've posed this one for flight as well ...
The models are decently sized and look terrific on my desk.
Mandible detail is pretty darn good ...
Here's the other Sabertooth Longhorn Beetle, which I haven't put together yet ...
Anyway, I thought these were cool enough to share!
The past couple of weeks have been a battle against one virus after another, or maybe just one particularly nasty bug with a bag of tricks. It began with a week of nausea before morphing into a full-blown cold (and ear infection), which explains my lack of blog posts. I'm hoping this weekend's nicer weather will coax me out for a low-key trip to a nearby spot to listen for birds, though I'm still a bit energy-depleted.
All images © 2026 Mike McDowell