Hexarthrius mandibularis mandibularis (SEGA big beetles)

[Beetle guy]

On this Sega figurine line(s)
The SEGA 'big beetles' (note: not an official series name, just to label it) came in blisterpack and some with a plastic strap holding a information card.
Many beetles were produced and sometimes with alternative or altered molds for particular species. The style of the series figurines differs so much that they can hardly be seen as a whole. Most of them were released from 2003 to 2009 and pretty hard to find. I do think to know all of them made by now. I did not keep/collect all, because some were a bit badly made to my opinion, focusing mainly on realistic figurines. The quality of the molds differs in these big beetles. Some look less realistic and/or very bulky, others are just great and one (Chalcosoma moellenkampi) can even compete with the DeAgostini beetles (64 models from real beetles, the best in beetle figurines there is) the SEGA DX_series and certianly some F-toy ones.

On the beetle
Hexarthrius mandibularis is a large stag beetle species from Indonesia. It belongs to the family of the Lucanidae.
This beetle has a dark, brownish/reddish body. With very large, antler-like mandibles with small teeth on the inside edge, and one large, forward-pointing pair located approximately in the middle of the mandibles (to a third) down from the somewhat inward forked tips. The larvae of  Hexarthrius mandibularis lives and feeds in rotten hardwood.
The size (depending on which subspecies, Hexarthrius mandibularis mandibularis or Hexarthrius mandibularis sumatranus) for a male ranges between 115 and 118,5 mm respectively.

On the figurine
A very rare find. The figurine depitcs Hexarthrius mandibularis mandibularis (I think). It was released in 2003. This model probably came in a blisterpackage with a Mushi King playing card. I do not know for a 100% though, because I bought it with a lot of used items.
It has far less realistic details than the Sega DX version of the same species. The legs (less bulky than the DX version) and mandibles are slightly bendable but not really poseable. The pronotum even has a design flaw, it is wrongly shaped (like no stagbeetle species pronotum in general is shaped). Also a minor pitty, there are no small teeth along the inner edge of the mandibles in this model.

The figurine measures: 120 mm so almost scale 1:1 for a very big male.

First the four Sega Hexarthrius mandibularis figurines I have.
Above left: From the MushiKing big beetles series, above right: From the Mushiking small series the black version,
Below left: From the Sega DX series (H. sumatranus) and below right the Mushiking small series the brownish version.



Comparing the DX version (left) and the 'Big beetles' version (right).



The flaw in the pronotum design (marked red is what the shape should be) and the toothless mandibles.





And the overview...

[brontodocus]

Once again a figure I (think I) haven't seen before! Interesting fact about the flawed anterior margin of the pronotum. I can understand that small details like serrations on the mandibles may sometinmes be omitted in a figure but the pronotum is strange. Maybe they had two specimens belonging to two different species as a template?

[Beetle guy]

Once again a figure I (think I) haven't seen before! Interesting fact about the flawed anterior margin of the pronotum. I can understand that small details like serrations on the mandibles may sometinmes be omitted in a figure but the pronotum is strange. Maybe they had two specimens belonging to two different species as a template?

To my knowledge, no Lucanidae beetle has such anterior margin of the pronotum. But that's my knowledge