Tag Archives: Bugs

Creature Contraptions building a better future in LEGO

2024 has been a delightful year for the Space theme, with it showing up in surprising forms across a range of LEGO themes. Ian Hou (DOGOD Brick Design) keeps the Space party going with a whimsical scene where old and new space minifigs pilot fish-ships and bug-gies to a chameleon-inspired space station. In the spirit of joyful collaboration, the model even incorporates a modified portion of the LEGO Friends Mars Space Base for the chameleon’s control module. According to the builder, the scene depicts a facility where the “dragon” restores life-giving soil. The central building is so colorful and fun, but my inner-kid’s favorite element has to be the adorable beetle buggies.

nEO_IMG_DOGOD_變土龍_01

For more of Ian Hou’s playful animal-inspired builds, check out our DOGOD Brick Design archives.

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LEGO Ideas 21342 The Insect Collection – Botanicals meets animals [Review]

The LEGO Group is right in the thick of pounding out Ideas sets. At this point, the completionists are probably having a hard time keeping up with collecting the entire line. But there are definitely some you don’t want to miss. Under the microscope next is LEGO Ideas 21342 The Insect Collection. While it looks a fair bit more detailed than the original fan submission by José María Pérez Suero, it holds onto the spirit of that design. Join us as we get out our magnifying glasses and take a closer look at this seemingly beautiful build. The set, which contains 1111 pieces, will be available Sept. 7th and retail for US $79.99 | CAN $99.99 | UK £69.99.

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Who knew a computer bug could be a good thing?

This excellent LEGO insect built by Duncan Lindbo is one of my most favorite fan builds in recent history. Set atop an enlarged computer chip, it totally sells the idea that this is some sort of cyber bug. It even has a realistic name: “Cyberoptera Digitalis”. But apart from simply looking cool, it utilizes some awesome part techniques such as 3-pointed “rock crystals” for eyes, crowbars for feet, a screwdriver for a proboscis, and Uruk-hai swords for wing-tips. Speaking of wings, they even articulate and fan out!

Cyberoptera Digitalis

If you like this, check out some more awesome models by Duncan Lindbo, as well as all sorts of cyber creations. And don’t forget the insect builds well you’re at it!

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Scolia the Venomous

This LEGO creation by Ivan Martynov is not for the faint of heart. Or at least not for people who are afraid of wasps and mosquitos. This little critter looks like it is not only equipped to defend itself against harmful villains. It looks like it was built to act out Order 66. It looks like a mean killing machine that won’t be taking prisoners. I can already see lots of people defending themselves with menu cards, rolled-up newspapers or a fly swatter. These beasts roam the tourist hotspots like zoos, playgrounds, ice cream parlours, and let’s not forget public parks. To top it off, they appear to be venomous and vigilante.

Scolia

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I have a need for ‘pede!

We truly don’t mean to feature every last LEGO creation Caleb Flutur has built lately but damn, son, that guy is prolific! He’s clearly having the best week ever with his series of Steampunk-inspired creepy crawlies. He says he’ll be posting one a day until…we don’t know when. We’re amused, if not a bit bugged out. We can feature other things but the rest of youse haven’t exactly been doing anything to exterminate this onslaught of jeepers-creepers. You know who you are! Build something, will ya? We just might feature it. In the meantime, check out some other things that bug us imensely.

Centipede

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The Blue Beetle Brigade

Grant Davis must know I am partial to a good brick-built insect. It is my dream to one day have framed Entomology display made entirely out of LEGO bricks. Now all I have to do is convince my partner that this is suitable decoration for a living room. These wonderful bugs by Grant might help me convince him. The body of the beetle is build using the vehicle spoiler for the antennas Grant used minifigure whips. There is an interesting mixture of brown parts used in the making of the branch. The flower on the branch must be some sort of parasitic plant species because it looks like it is not part of the branch itself. The eggs used for flowers petals is a very lovely touch and the presentation of this creation is simply sublime.

The Blue Beetle Brigade

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There once was an impatient caterpillar

This adorable LEGO caterpillar built by Jens Ohrndorf is the perfect illustration for a children’s storybook. Just the critter alone is cute, from his paint-roller antennae to his “fuzzy” body and flower-stem spines. But when you add those balloons, it’s magic. It really does give the illusion of this fellow’s body being lifted up. He didn’t quite use enough, though! Don’t worry little buddy! Be patient and someday soon you’ll be a beautiful butterfly!

Jens is great at giving his builds life and that spark of character. Just check out this fun cactus!

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Yo ho ho, it’s a bug’s life for me

Hachiroku24 shows us a collection of LEGO bugs made with an amazing eye for detail. Their collection consists of a lady bug, a praying mantis, a butterfly, a bee and a rhino beetle and all of them are amazing. Let’s zoom in on each bug individually. The lady bug is just a cute little ball. The 2×1 wedge with stud notch work perfectly for the eyes of the lady bug and have you seen those little feet? The praying mantis head is simply perfect using the bionicle tooth and the technic ball for eyes. There are a lot of plant stems, tail ends and even surfboards used in this little bug. The butterfly is a beautiful build using different shades of blue for the pattern on the wings. The bee and the rhino beetle are the best of the bunch. Although it is not pictured here, they both come with a set of wings using transparent pieces including the 1×4 curved slope which looks stunning! You can watch a video of the build here. Now I am off to build these myself. I think I will frame them and hang them on my wall in stead of buying an entomology display.

LEGO Insect Collection (new LEGO Ideas project!)

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Levitating Bonsai Balance

Ever since the release of the LEGO 10281 Bonsai tree, there have been a lot of LEGO Bonsai trees appearing on my socials. I do not recall an official set ever-inspiring so many fans to create their own versions of (except for maybe the BrickHeadz). This one by Hoang Dang is the cherry on top of the cake. Not only does it come with a custom base and pot it also appears to be levitating, hence the title.

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Let’s get straight to the tree which to me is te main highlight of this creation. There are so many cleverly used parts hidden in this creation. Hoang was also kind enough to post a break down of his creation, making my life as a writer a whole lot easier. For the trunk the following pieces were used: mammoth trunks, mammoth heads and a Scala horse saddle. I kid you not. There also is a lot of attention to detail when it comes to the flowers in the Bonsai tree. The flowers appear to have 3 stages. Starting as a small bud, which slowly opens until it is in full bloom.

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Man, this thing is seriously buggy

If you spend any time working on a computer, and let’s face it, we all spend more time on computers than usual these days, you’ve probably experienced the occasional glitch with your graphics card. I think that Ivan Martynov may have discovered the real cause of all those graphic glitches. This dark and colorful critter is snacking on a graphic card, and by the look of it, he’s going to do some damage. Aside from the many printed tiles used on the computer module, I love the use of a Creeper face from the Minecraft theme.

Graphic Bug

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A beetle with a bit of style

Japanese tiger beetles are one of the coolest bugs on the planet. Not only is this epic predator shrouded in a rainbow, but it also sprints the equivalent of a human ultramarathon every day. It’s one of the fastest-running critters out there. I certainly wouldn’t want to mess with those mandibles either. Takamichi Irie is known for his exceptional LEGO beetles, and this is one of his best. The body shape and mosaic-like exoskeleton really make it stand out and come to life.

Tiger Beetle

Takamichi’s unique style involves the use of loads of minifigure hands. You have to wonder how he gets them. Does he have a hundred poor minifigs without hands, or does he get them in bulk? Maybe our past interview with him will shed a little light on his work.

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Spaceship or space slug?

As September comes to a close, I’m always amazed at what amazing new designs space builders can come up with. And while Ivan Martynov’s Larva Carrier is a digital model, it is still an impressive creation.

Larva Carrier

Spaceships offer so much for an inventive builder. The thought of an organic carrier type ship launching spacefaring larvae is equal parts wacky, creepy, and creative. The chosen colour scheme works great: dark tan and olive green seem totally grubby to me compared to the cleaner tan and gold of less organic parts of the ship. The giant worm on the bottom of the ship tie the concept together, but also makes me wonder if that’s some sort of queen space bug, and she lays eggs that hatch into the larvae that get launched?

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