Bold and beautiful: Amazing Creatures in the new LEGO® Ideas The Insect Collection

The natural world is filled with outstanding beauty. From the largest creatures to the smallest, the colors and shapes of nature are often as spectacular as they are diverse, and nowhere is this diversity more on display than in the wonderful world of insects.

To celebrate these beautiful creatures, we’re proud to release the LEGO® Ideas The Insect Collection.

After achieving over 10,000 supporters on LEGO Ideas, this set is likely to cause a buzz amongst nature lovers. We even have our own insect expert on hand to talk us through these tiny little friends...

MEET THE INSECTS

“Insects are a big part of a healthy ecosystem,” says Mark Gurney, a Data Scientist at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), based in the United Kingdom.

“A wide range of insects pollinate plants, which is obviously really important for our food, fruit trees and all sorts of crops.”

In the set, there are five brilliant insects included: three big friends and two smaller hidden ones, all close to life-size scale.

The stunning blue morpho butterfly would typically be found fluttering through the jungles of Central and South America, as well as certain Caribbean islands, but now it’s ready to bring its delicate grace to your home in brick form.

Its adjustable wings decorated in shades of blue, perched upon a buildable flower with a miniature honeybee for scale, reflect the beauty of the real thing.

The mighty Hercules beetle inhabits the same region of the world but is a far less delicate creature. It’s the longest beetle in the world and one of the largest flying insects, with incredible horns that are longer than its body.

It got its name from Hercules, the mythological warrior famed for his tremendous strength, and the name comes well-earned as the Hercules beetle can lift up to 850 times its body weight. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?

“The larvae of the Hercules beetle keep habitats healthy by feeding on decaying wood. Almost all insects that eat dead wood need fungus to help break it down,” says Mark.

The biomes (aka the physical environments) of the insects are reflected in the LEGO set, too. As you can see, the Hercules beetle is propped on some LEGO brick wood to represent its favorite food, with two blue mushrooms signifying the important role of fungus.

Then, there is the fully posable Chinese mantis, including two articulated forelegs so the mantis can be posed in its iconic ‘praying’ style. Try and spot the miniature seven-spotted ladybug that had better not get too close unless it wants to become a meal.

THE ROLE OF INSECTS

While some of these insects may be small, their role in our world is very big indeed. Beyond pollination, they play vital roles in many other facets of our lives, from forming the basis of the food chain to breaking down dead wood and creating healthy soils in which plants and trees can grow.

But despite the important role they play in so many areas of our lives, the outlook for insects is not looking particularly bright.

“It’s pretty worrying, really,” continues Mark. “I think even in my lifetime, it just seems like there are far fewer insects around. So many of them have disappeared.”

“For example, the seven-spotted ladybug is one of the most common insects in the UK, although it does seem to be declining and they play an important role at helping to control numbers of aphids eating garden plants.”

Insects also play a crucial role in how we interact with nature in our day-to-day life. One way we can help is by learning more about insects and learning to love them, and that’s where Mark hopes this new set can make a real difference.

“If it inspires people – if it dispels the myth that insects are dull or insects are a bit yucky, then that’s great,” says Mark. “If it makes them go out and try and find some of these things, then amazing. You never know, it might set someone on a path to working for the RSPB or something similar one day.”

There are so many reasons why insects should be welcomed into our outdoor spaces. We can attract them by simply planting insect-friendly plants and flowers or building homes for them to live in.

So why not welcome the LEGO Ideas The Insect Collection set into your home and start to get to know the wonderful world of insects?

You can even listen to the LEGO Green Noise soundtrack while you’re at it...

Want more? Watch how Sanaa Kelley, the talented Foley artist who made the Green Noise soundtrack, created the different insect sounds...