Back in the 80's when I was a kid, I had a ladybug transformer-like figure. However, I'm not sure what toyline it was from or who made it. When in insect mode, it looked just like a ladybug. It didn't look robotic at all, and you couldn't tell that there was a robot hidden underneath. It's definitely NOT the female Beet Papil figure that was canceled. This figure was different. Looked like a KO type figure, but it was well done. I'd love to try and find this figure again, but I can't begin to look if I don't know what I'm looking for. Googling "ladybug" and "robots, transformers, etc." has gotten me nowhere. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Sounds like one of the Converters insects? Not KOs, just one of the more cheap and generic transforming lines from the 80s. There's also a common insect KO set, in the same packaging style as some of the common G1 combiner sets, which it might be, but I'm less certain about those.
There's a generic set of insect transformers that comes out every year at Christmas,at places like drug stores. It seems doubtfull that it would still be the same mold,but we've seen weirder shit happen with these foreign bootlegs.
Alright, I know this thread is pretty old, but I finally found some pictures of this figure. Seems he's from a line called insectbots. However, I can't seem to find any for sale anywhere on the web. Anyone have this figure? I'd love to have it again!
I just wanted to let you know that I currently own one of these. I just listed it on eBay. If you are still looking for it, your search is over. Vintage Prohoton Ind Insectbot Lady Bug 1985 Transformer Like Robot Toy RARE | eBay
Very sad I missed this. I really wish you would've PM'd me. Does anyone else possibly have this guy and would be willing to part with it?
Damn dude, that is one dedicated toy hunt. Congratulations! Longest I've ever stalked ebay for something was a year and a half and it was a Japanese pinball game for Gameboy Color. Someone finally listed a boxed copy for $20 last year and I mashed the BIN button.
Thanks everyone. Yeah, I've kept "insectbot" in my saved eBay searches all this time. I'm not sure if I want to open him just yet. May just keep him looking pretty in the box for now on my shelf.
Ok, I decided to take him out to get a couple of pictures. The box wasn't taped, so no worries about ruining anything. Someone on Instagram said this figure was originally going to be part of the G1 insecticons. I'm a little skeptical about that. Does anyone else possibly have more info about this line? I couldn't find anything on Google. He does seem to have Twin Twist's head, so I guess it's not too far fetched. He also has a bio on the side of the box, but it's really, really bad English. I'm at work right now, so I'll post it later when I get home.
That part is definitely untrue, but it's based on the fact that the Deluxe Insecticons were originally from the series Armored Battalion Insect Beetras. Beetras was supposed to become a full series, but no media supporting the toyline ever got off the ground. The catalog that came with the released toys and shared the story of the line included art for the four male pilots and one female pilot, and her unreleased Beetras, Beet-Papil. Guess what its insect mode was! No prototype mold was ever made as far as I recall, and the only thing your Lady Bug and Beet-Papil have in common is they're both ladybugs. The Twin Twist head only further cements the Insectbot as a knockoff as Takara didn't produce the Beetras toys, but Takatoku, though your Instagram friend probably noticed Lady Bug borrows Beet-Gadol/Barrage's engineering and transformation.
Oh man, it's almost exactly the same. Just a different insect head and shell. Same insect legs, same robot arms and legs. Even the gun is the same, too.
