The Malayan jungle nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata) is a large phasmid (stick insect) endemic to the Malay Peninsula in Thailand, Singapore, Sumatra, and Borneo. It is sexually dimorphic, with the smaller males being 9-13 cm long and the larger females 14-17 cm long, with reports of some females reaching 25 cm in length. Wings are reduced in the females, and they are incapable of flight. The Malayan jungle nymph has become popular in terraria and zoos; they are large, docile, and can impress an audience. In 2022, Bandai Spirits introduced this species into the figure/toy realm with the topic of today’s review! The Ichiban Kuji World Insect Museum collection is the third in the ‘Life with Insect’ series that features large insects in the 1:1 scale.
The model comes in one piece, with no assembly required. The width of the spread hind legs comes to 25 cm. Measured along the midline, the body comes to 18.5 cm long, which is in 1:1 scale for a very large specimen (Bandai Spirits tend to make their 1:1 models at the maximum range).
The figure is sculpted in a traditional defensive posture, with its hind legs splayed wide and its abdomen curved over its head. In nature, if a would-be-predator would get too close, the legs would snap together as a scissor-like weapon. Like other figures in this line, the sculpt is amazing, with all the bells-and-whistles that a large thorny phasmid should come with. It comes with a small acrylic support base, to help keep its posture over time (it’s a pretty sturdy figure, but there is enough give in the legs it might start to splay over time).
The base color is lime-green with brownish highlights; in nature, H. dilatata, like other phasmids, is a master of camouflage. The eyes are painted red.
This is a rather impressive figure; however, it is not a toy but rather a model for serious collectors. It is large, expensive, and can be very hard to find (Life with Insect figures were released in select grocery stores in Japan). However, for those that like to collect exotic animals in the 1:1 range, this phasmid comes strongly recommended.
Awesome review of an amazing figure. This species should have been included in Safari Ltd.’s Hidden Kingdom and Incredible Creatures collections this long time, and it is incredible that Bandai Spirits, a company best known for its anime figures, is the first to make one. Hopefully other companies start producing more species of Phasmids going forward. Thank you for the great pictures and thorough review, Blaine. Keep ’em coming!