Recent acquisitions

[sbell]

I've been a little quiet, but I've been slowly building in the last few months...Here is the group photo!



In no particular order:
CollectA Basilosaurus, Excalibosaurus & Prehistoric Marine tube; Safari Marsh&Associates special release Razorback suckers (x2!) and Cave Dwellers toob Crayfish; Hikari Clown Loaches (x2); Phil Farrell Fire eel(!); K&M Red-Backed Salamander; Yowies Freshwater Catfish; PNSO Himalayasaurus; Capsule Aquarium Giant eel; Enoshima Aquarium Japanese soldierfish; DYDO Fangtooth (Ogrefish); Ichimon/NatureTechnicolor Frilled Shark & Indonesian Coelacanth.

And now I can say that I have the full set of Marsh&Associates Arizona fish!



Also, these burbot...they are fishing lures, but other than the tail are pretty much just rubber fish replicas!



(the larger yellow/brown one is obviously more realistic; the blue is more fanciful)

[Beetle guy]

Nice additions! The Ikimon Indonesian Coelacanth looks great!

[bmathison1972]

Awesome Sean! Nice Arizona fish. Wish I knew you when I lived in Tempe, you coulda had them all a long time ago ;-). Are you planning on doing a review of the set? Or walkarounds of each?

[stargatedalek]

Those suckers are great, I'd love to track down that line someday.

[sbell]

Awesome Sean! Nice Arizona fish. Wish I knew you when I lived in Tempe, you coulda had them all a long time ago ;-). Are you planning on doing a review of the set? Or walkarounds of each?

I am hoping to. At least a set review. It was enough just to get the whole bunch photographed! I've been building up that lot for a few months!

Those suckers are great, I'd love to track down that line someday.

4 of them are still available at the source (Marsh Education store) http://www.marsheducation.org/?page_id=75

I got their last Loach minnow! And I had to get the suckers from China.

[bmathison1972]

Some recent stuff in November. I have stuff pending from Brett, too, but since there is no ETA on when his contact will send stuff, I thought I'd go ahead and post these now.

First, some 'aquarium decor', three hermit crabs and a porcelain crab (maybe genus Porcellana? Having trouble placing it). All are solid, sturdy non-PVC plastic:



Next, 10 ants as French feves. Like the recent grasshoppers, and unlike past butterflies, these are not attributed to exact species. I had seen this set on French eBay not available in the US, but then Beetle Guy alerted me to this set on the US eBay so I snatched them up:



Speaking of Beetle Guy, I bought A LOT...I mean a LOT....of critters from him, mostly Sega figures:

First, large Sega figures:
DX: Prosopocoilus giraffa, Megasoma actaeon, Dorcus alcides, Allomyrina dichotoma
Big but not DX (2003): Dorcus titanus palawanicus, Allotopus rosenbergi



Sega, flying set (2005): Mesotopus tarandus, Dynastes hercules, Allomyrina dichtoma, Prosopocoilus giraffa, Dorcus rectus, Dorcus hopei



Various small Sega beetles:

Sega, small standard figures: Dynastes hercules (blue morph), Rhaetulus didieri, Homoderus mellyi, Scapanes australis, Eupatorus gracillicornis edai, Hexarthrius forsteri.

Sega, Mushi King fighting beetles: Dynastes hyllus, Allomyrina dichotoma, Rhaetulus speciosus, Odontolabis burmeisteri

Sega small, DX: Golofa porteri, Allotopus rosenbergi

Sega, Mushi King Magnet Set: Chalcosoma caucausus, Dorcus grandis, Allotopus rosenbergi, Dynastes hercules, Megasoma actaeon, Mesotopus tarandus



Next, some miscellaneous scarabs.

Five Epoch figures (2005). Don't think this is all of them. They come with bases, but I only have bases for two of them; the bases interlock like puzzle pieces and I believe it is so the figures can be displayed face to face as if fighting (this might be another 'fighting beetles' set): Megasoma elephas, Dynastes neptunus, Odontolabis lacordairei, Allotopus rosenbergi, Prosopocoilus inclinatus.

F-toys, female Allomyrina dichtotoma (as commonly-made as this figure is, why aren't there more females?)



Lastly some very simple but neat boxed bugs by an unknown Japanese manufacturer.  I have tentative IDs on these, based on the morphology in combination with the text on the back (run through translation software). The image below with the text is a flipped 'mirror image' of the insects themselves, in case anyone wants to link insect with its corresponding text.

EDIT: 11/20/2017, an entomology colleague from Korea helped with the translations and clarified and corrected a few. These are the intended species:
*new species for my collection
**new genus for my collection

1. Carabus insulicola*
2. Nezara antennata**
3. Chrysochroa buqueti rugicollis* [marketed as C. rugicollis]
4. Parasteatoda tepidariorum**
5. Anoplophora chinensis [marketed as A. malasiaca, a synonym]
6. Deraeocoris ater**
7. Carabus gehinii*
8. Allomyrina dichotoma
9. Chrysochroa fulgidissima
10. Coccinella septempunctata

[Beetle guy]

Glad all arrived well!
On the Epoch ones, there are two sets on bases, I will try to find out which ecxactly if you like.

[dinocat62]

I was able to get the Arizona fish. Thanks for the heads up. Where can I get a Phil Farrell eel and the lures?

[bmathison1972]

I was able to confirm/correct IDs in the 10 boxed figures above, thanks to an entomology colleague originally from Korea.

[Beetle guy]

I was able to confirm/correct IDs in the 10 boxed figures above, thanks to an entomology colleague originally from Korea.

Great help, also nice to know ;-)

[sbell]

I was able to get the Arizona fish. Thanks for the heads up. Where can I get a Phil Farrell eel and the lures?

Unfortunately, the eel was a one-off custom (it was his first attempt when it was commissioned; his 'good' one sold for way more than I would have paid!). The lures are from a company called Savage Gear. Many of their lures are made as 3D prints in soft material--they also have several pike, gobies, etc. One of the pike even has a pattern like an Amur pike (think fish dalmation). I think they are online; I got mine from a local outfitter store that is closing down!

I kind of hope they are still limpoing along, there are some other intersting lures that might make good models!

[stargatedalek]

If this is the same Savage Gear brand I know I'm pretty sure they aren't 3D printed in the soft material but rather the masters are 3D printed and then cast.

[sbell]

If this is the same Savage Gear brand I know I'm pretty sure they aren't 3D printed in the soft material but rather the masters are 3D printed and then cast.

Sorry, yeah, that's it--the scan the fish to get a 'true shape' and then make them in their wiggly rubber!

[bmathison1972]

Some great stuff from Brett today!!!!!

First, a set of beetles from F-toys originally released in 2007. I was aware of this set from other collectors' online postings, and didn't think I'd ever see it. Beetle Guy alerted me to it, and Brett and Emiko secured it!!!! While none of these figures are unique, a few are uncommonly made. They appear more fragile than newer F-toys models (notice the leg on the M. tarandus broke--will have to glue that guy back on) but incredibly nice. The line-up: Phalacrognathus muelleri, Cyclommatus metallifer, Mesotopus tarandus, Chrysochroa fulgidissima (a rare buprestid among the sea of scarabs typical of F-toys), Allotopus rosenbergi, and two color versions of Lamrima adolphinae (the blue one is a 'secret' figure).



Next a variety of Japanese figures, including three long-time Holy Grail figures:

First the coconut crab (Birgus latro) and long-armed scarab (Cheirotonus jambar) from the 2017 Colorata set of Yanbaru Creatures. Will probably do a walk-around of the coconut crab.

Next, the coconut crab, emperor scorpion (Pandinus imperator), and floral egg crab (Atergatis floridus) from the rare Epoch Poisonous Creatures collection!!! I have been after these for years. The A. floridus is a 'unique' figure, and today I doubled the number of coconut crabs in my collection LOL.

Lastly, the emperor scorpion from Bandai - Animal Kaiser. This is my first A.K. figure; luckily the arthropods are not as anthropomorphized as some of the vertebrates.

[Beetle guy]

Nice additions Blaine!!

[Beetle guy]

Two holy graills arrived.

From the F-Toys creatures of the waterside set. Laccotrephes japonensis (left, misspelled as japonennsis on the accompanying card) and Ranatra chinensis (right).

Been looking for years for these two, These together with the Giant waterbug (Lethocerus deyrollei) and the diving beetle (Cybister japonicus) which I allready had, where the ones I wanted from the set.

[bmathison1972]

Two holy graills arrived.

From the F-Toys creatures of the waterside set. Laccotrephes japonensis (left, misspelled as japonennsis on the accompanying card) and Ranatra chinensis (right).

Been looking for years for these two, These together with the Giant waterbug (Lethocerus deyrollei) and the diving beetle (Cybister japonicus) which I allready had, where the ones I wanted from the set.

Good job Beetle Guy. That was a Holy Grail set for me too but i was lucky to get it complete years ago. Only water scorpion figures I'm aware of.

[brontodocus]

Congrats, Blaine and Marcel! Ah, too bad I missed those F-Toys Creatures of the Waterside figures when they were available...

[Beetle guy]

Congrats, Blaine and Marcel! Ah, too bad I missed those F-Toys Creatures of the Waterside figures when they were available...

When I will get a double by chance, it's for you!

[brontodocus]

When I will get a double by chance, it's for you!

Aw, many thanks, Marcel!