This guy is what first caught my eye on Etsy ('fraid he's already sold). *WARNING - SCIENCE SPEAK* He is what is called a Caddisfly larvae. Many moons ago before I came to the dark side (geology), I studied environmental biology. Off and on I did research on aquatic macroinvertebrates (invertebrates that are macroscopic, i.e. you can see them without a microscope). This included studying a variety of organisms, one of which was the caddisfly! I was pleasantly surprised that someone else on Etsy knew these interesting little creatures!
One of my new favorite creations are the aquarium collections! What a great idea these are - perfect for kids that aren't ready for live pets. Also a cool idea for college students who can't have pets in their dorms!
Brigette is a zoology student, and got interested in creating her menagerie of plush creatures when she couldn't find anyone else who made all these unusual and wonderful critters! She is also a member of the Mad Scientists of Etsy team :D You can find more photos of her creations and other cool things on Flickr, and read about what she is up to at her Blog.
For an awesome gift perfect for anyone fascinated with insects or other invertebrates, check out the Weird Bug Lady!