Tag Archives: Insects

Taxidermy is so much easier with LEGO bricks

There are many important events on the LEGO calendar, ranging from month-long build challenges to contests and competitions. But arguably one of the most important is the annual Creations for Charity drive, where LEGO builders come together to raise funds for charity through their builds. Daniel Olvera has thrown this taxidermied centipede into the ring for this year. Taxidermy seems like a much easier job in LEGO; much less gruesome. And no matter how many small LEGO elements you use, they’re surely easier than trying to coax an insect into a frame without damaging it further!

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Surfing through the jungle with this beautiful LEGO butterfly

With a name like birdwing butterfly, it’s no surprise that this majestic insect by moptoptrev has wings that resemble a bird. What surprised me was the clever use of so many interesting parts to achieve the unique pattern on those wings, from a surfboard to a ski pole. And there are many nice parts used on the body as well. Like those long and bendy black elements used in the Avatar theme, and the coiled whip used for the long proboscis.

The builder even created a separate build to show the wings opened!

Wake the kids and the neighbors, it’s the Red Screaming Face Bug!

LEGO phenom Daniel Olvera tells us that he and his fiancé enjoy wild and creepy taxidermied bugs in shadow boxes. Having a small taxedermied bug collection myself, my antennae perked up when I saw this Lohita Grandis. It is also known as the Red Screaming Face Bug due to its, well, red screaming face pattern. Insects and other animals with a large false face do this sort of thing to scare off predators and, while I fancy myself as top of the food chain, I’m pretty sure my face would be screaming if I saw this out in the wild. It’s one of those things that’s best viewed within the protective confines of a shadow box rather than crawling in your tent at night.

Don’t lose your head over this elegant mantis

The praying mantis female will sometimes consume the head of the male while mating. What’s this self-made widow’s secret? alex_mocs knows that there’s nothing more alluring than Bionicle and Constraction elements, seamlessly integrated into organic LEGO builds. This model of the
Viridis Mantidae is the pinnacle of elegance with a touch of menace. Like a master sculptor, alex manages to coax disparate LEGO elements together in ways that suggest that this was the role they were destined to play, from the green whip antennae to the Ninjago sail wings to the Bionicle chest.

alex_mocs is one of the organizers of the Bio-Cup. The first round, with the theme “Dreams,” closes on June 9th. If you’re interested in building MOCs that play with non-system elements like alex’s model here, it’s not too late to enter. Don’t worry – they won’t bite!

Extermin8 with extreme prejudice

You see just one of these buggers crawling across your kitchen counter and you know there are hundreds more in hiding. Who can relate? That was my college dorm room experience. It was a bummer because I’m pretty sure I signed up to have only one roommate, not hundreds getting into all my stuff. Thankfully LEGO phenom Dicken Liu comes to the rescue with a can of insecticide. The dead roach, with it’s broken leg and fishing rod antennae, is a clever touch. It serves as a reminder that getting on top of a roach infestation can be icky business. Cockroaches don’t even seem to appreciate alternative rock, although I specifically stated on my roommate application that alt rock was my jam.

A Hero (Factory) is only as good as its villains

From 2010 to 2014, LEGO replaced the Bionicle line with Hero Factory, a world of robot agents protecting the galaxy from villains bots like Thornraxx. Builder Magmafrost13 gives this B-tier adversary an S-Tier makeover that’s buzzing with clever techniques. The bug-bot’s curved gaster is made from interlocking feet elements. I especially like the shaping on the face, which uses paint rollers to connect the antennae and hides Hero Factory masks under the bulbous eyes. This version of Thornraxx might not shoot balls out of its mandibles, but with all those wicked blades around the carapace, the foe seems decidedly more lethal. Better call on Benjamin Anderson’s upgraded Stormer to swat this fearsome pest.

A very hungry LEGO caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of the most enduring and beloved works of childrens’ literature thanks to the distinctive style of creator Eric Carle. 55 years after eating its way through readers’ hearts, the Hungry Caterpillar is back in LEGO form courtesy of another distinctive artist, Pan Noda. A character build like this is a departure from the uncanny architecture and liminal spaces we’ve come to expect from the builder, but there’s something about the Hungry Caterpillar that makes it feel at home in Pan’s pantheon. Maybe it’s those haunting eyes of life preservers atop Scala foam? Or the dozens of cherries that turn eerily to fur along the caterpillar’s back. Or the existential question of whether a hole in a book is part of the book or the absence of book. In any case, it’s a brilliant build. Were it not for the apple leaf in the foreground, it would be easy to overlook that it’s a LEGO model all!

It’s time to flee the great LEGO space flea

Menace and malice are the motto of Malefactor, the latest LEGO build from Scott Wilhelm. With outer plating of dark red and mouthparts and limbs clad in black, this giant parasite still appears to have some of the essentials of space travel like rear thrusters and forward battery. So is this a living creature, or a spaceship with a natural inspiration? I’d rather not get close enough to find out!

He has the whole world in his hands

This giant LEGO ant carrying the entire Earth by Plaåtart’s Creations doesn’t seem so farfetched considering that ants can carry 100 times their weight. That would be the equivalent of me lifting a semi-truck! Meanwhile, here I am straining to get a gallon of milk out of the fridge like a weak wussy-man. Unless this is a well-known builder in disguise, this appears to be the first time we’ve featured their work here so let’s give them The Brothers Brick Bump they rightly deserve. With build quality this (ahem) strong, we look forward to seeing whatever else this builder will lift up in the future.

The lotus and the damselfly

Mattia Careddu takes us on a journey to Sri Lanka with a LEGO version of the Nymphaea Nouchali, or Blue Lotus, the country’s national flower. The model makes good use of Hero Factory cocoon elements as petals, and syringes double as stamens. Admiring the flower is a Prodasineura Sita, a species of damselfly endemic to the island nation. Minifig hands make for excellent hairs on the delicate insect’s spindly legs. Care Creation regularly finds inspiration in unusual LEGO elements or subjects not typically seen in LEGO models. This tiny model does both!

Think wasps are only good for being a nuisance at picnics? Think again

Wasps are something of a bête noire when it comes to animals – they’re probably the least liked of all the insects. Having been stung by a fair few in my time, I’d have to agree; but if anything is going to change my mind, it’s Shamisenfred‘s innovative LEGO interceptor. Christened the GUÊPE (French for wasp, or more literally, WASP), it’s said to be a craft with “erratic, unpredictable movements”. Yep, sounds very on brand. And speaking of which, I love the use of the chevron-shaped wedge pieces to create the ship’s body, as it mimics the hexagonal nature of wasp or bees’ nests. I bet it still packs a sting, though…

Upping the ante with some Nice Parts Use

F. S. Leinad is up to his usual LEGO-building antics again. This is a creation that he tells us he’s been antsy to share, inspired by one single part. Who could have anticipated that Garmadon’s helmet would make such a great nose for this bug? Not me! He’s upped the ante on this one. And while I could antagonize you all with some more ant-related puns, they might be getting a bit antiquated already. Let’s just file this build into the NPU anthology and be done with it.