Stemcell Science Shop Enamel Pins - Insects

Stemcell Science Shop's goal is to excite curious minds of all ages and give them the tools and encouragement they need to improve the world(s). Check out these glorious Insect enameled pins!

Giraffe Stag Beetle Prosopocoilus giraffa looks like someone took a regular stag beetle, stretched it in Photoshop, and forgot to hit “undo.” Native to Southeast Asia, males wield absurdly long, serrated mandibles that can reach over half their body length—perfect for flipping rivals off tree trunks in high-stakes beetle sumo. Despite the aggressive hardware, they’re surprisingly composed unless provoked, in which case they’ll wrestle with the patience of a grandmaster and the leverage of a crowbar.

Hercules Beetle In the beetle world, Dynastes hercules is less “gentleman insect” and more “armored forklift with wings.” Native to Central and South America, males sport a massive pincer-like horn that can be longer than their entire body, perfect for flipping rivals off branches in dramatic fashion. They’re also record-holders in the insect strength department, capable of hauling 850 times their own weight—if you could do that, you’d be casually carrying around a school bus. Their glossy exoskeleton can shift color with humidity, making them both a powerhouse and a mood ring.

Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle If medieval knights had exoskeletons, they’d look like Trypoxylus dichotomus. Native to forests across East and Southeast Asia, this beetle is a six-legged tank with a signature Y-shaped horn used for wrestling rivals off logs and impressing potential mates. Males can lift up to 850 times their own body weight—meaning if you could pull that off, you’d be bench-pressing a small airplane. Revered in Japan as a childhood pet, a summer icon, and even a video game character, this beetle straddles the line between beloved and absurdly overpowered.

Japanese Stag Beetle If beetles had sports leagues, Dorcus hopei binodulosus would be the heavyweight champ with a cult fan base. Native to Japan and parts of East Asia, this stag beetle is revered for its thick, no-nonsense mandibles—built less for elegance and more for shoving opponents clean off the tree. Some males grow large enough to look like miniature medieval weapons, and beetle breeders even hold competitions to see whose champion can deliver the most decisive flip.