Sanitary Insect Pest Exhibition (Kaiyodo - Capsule Q Museum)

[bmathison1972]

Review of the complete set of the Sanitary Insect Pest Exhibition by Kaiyodo (2015). This is an arthropod-centric set focusing on insects of public health importance, whether by parasitism, envenomation, or household pests. There are five figures, and all of them are unique to uncommonly made (at least at the species level; and since this is a Kaiyodo set, the figures are marketed at the species level with Latin names). I had originally done walkarounds on the ATF for the cockroach and pubic louse, but they were lost during the Photobucket purge and not replaced.

The figures are typical gashapon-sized. All come as a single piece except for the cockroach. All are free-standing except for the flea which comes with a detachable base.

As a professional parasitologist and entomologist, this set has a special place with me, much like the Fleas, Lice, and Ticks set by Play Visions.

On to the figures, in numerical order based on the paperwork:

1. Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarina.
This is the only species that has been semi-routinely made, and this figure is almost identical to the original Kaiyodo Choco Q figure (the front legs are held at a slightly different angle). Other figures are by Yujin, Rement, and Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.; Shineg made a larva.



2. Smoky-brown cockroach, Periplaneta fulginosa.
This figure was unique at the species level when first released, but Kaiyodo has since released a nymph a year later as part of the Sticky Tack Insect set.



3. Pubic louse, Pthirus pubis.
This is one of the boldest species ever made in figure form, and the only other one I am aware of is in the aforementioned Play Visions set (which remains to this date one of my last Holy Grail figures to acquire...).



4. Blow fly, Lucilia caesar.
This species is included in this set as its larvae can cause facultative myiasis. This figure is unique at the species level, however another species in the genus was made by Skillcraft.



5. Human flea, Pulex irritans.
This figure is unique at the genus and species level. Other flea figures are marketed as, or clearly attributable to, the genus Ctenocephalides (cat and dog fleas). The base allows this laterally-flattened figure to be displayed well!

[brontodocus]

Ah, this one was an instant favourite of mine, too!    Somehow I can't believe we didn't already have a complete overview of the set! By the way: here is a super-easy diorama idea for the Pthirus pubis and Pulex irritans: Take a flat piece of polystyrene, glue a piece of pinkish or tan paper onto it, take a few wooden skewers (painted black or dark brown) and stick them diagonally into the polystyrene - et voilà, human skin in the (more or less) perfect scale to match these two figures! The louse can even cling to the skewers! I know it works, I already did this...