Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Bosmina longirostris (Müller, 1785)
Common name(s): water flea

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ayano Katayama
Series: Fascinating Microorganisms
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Body length 4.0 cm for a scale of 100:1-67:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in the Fascinating Microorganisms collection are flat and acrylic, much like acrylic 'mascot' figures made by Ikimon. They are made by an artist named Ayano Katayama and sold on a site called minne (an Etsy-like site out of Japan). They are usually sold as keychains, but I had a custom set made without the holes that accommodate the chains.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide
Habitat: Freshwater lakes, ponds, and bogs; littoral
Diet: Filter feeders of zooplankton and phytoplankton
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Depending on environmental conditions, B. longirostris can reproduced by one of three methods: 1) sexual reproduction, 2) cyclic parthenogenesis, and 3) obligate parthenogenesis. When B. longirostris goes through parthenogenesis, they produce the same sex as the parent. Cyclic parthenogenesis, whereby the crustaceans can switch back-and-forth between sexual reproduction and parthenogenesis, occurs more commonly in temperate regions, whereas obligate parthenogenesis is more common in arctic and subarctic habitats. Maturation time and the number of eggs produced cam vary based on food availability.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Terpsiphone atrocaudata (Eyton, 1839)
Common name(s): Japanese paradise-flycatcher

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 10
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Total figure width 8.0 cm. Body length (exclusive of tail feathers) approximately 3.2 cm for a scale of 1:5.8-1:6.25
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Animatales figures, some assembly is required. This figure is modeled after a male. Upon researching this figure for today's post, I learned Kaiyodo also made a female on its nest for the Birdtales line, and I am now contemplating getting it to have a pair!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia. Breeding occurs in Japan, Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and extreme northern Philippines; non-breeding migration to China, northern Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (Sumatra)
Habitat: Mature deciduous or mixed forest, wooded riparian valleys, plantations, suburban parks and gardens
Diet: Flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other members of the genus Terpsiphone, T. atrocaudata is known for its marked sexual dimorphism. In terms of color, males (as shown here today) have a black hood and dark back with purple-blue gloss, while females are duller with chestnut-colored back and tail. What really sets them apart are the elongated central rectrices of the male, which project up to 25 cm beyond the other tail feathers and are longer than the body of the animal.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Acipenser transmontanus Richardson, 1836
Common name(s): white sturgeon; Pacific sturgeon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Shinagawa Aquarium
Year of Production: 2008
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.3 cm in diameter. Body length 6.7 cm for a scale of 1:24-1:31; 1:91 for a maximum-sized specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The fish is removable from its base (on mine, the acrylic peg snapped off in the base, so in this image my fish is just resting on its base).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Pacific, from Aleutian Islands to Baja California; landlocked populations in the Columbia River (Montana) and Lake Shasta (California); introduced to Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, and Oregon
Habitat: Estuaries of large rivers, migrating upstream in freshwater to spawn
Diet: Benthic invertebrates, fish, fish eggs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Acipenser transmontanus is anadromous. Adults typically live in deep, soft-bodied brackish estuaries but travel long distance upstream to spawn in freshwater river systems. There are at least two naturally landlocked populations, in Lake Shasta in California and the Columbia River system in Montana. The sturgeon was introduced to the Colorado River system in Arizona (Lake Havasu) and California (Mohave Lake), but it is not known if the population is still thriving; the last fish was caught there in 1976. In 1992, the sturgeon was introduced into the Upper Coosa in Georgia, but no fish have been observed since the original release, so it is presumed the introduction never got established.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chalcosoma chiron (Olivier, 1789)
Common name(s): Caucasus beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Tropical Rain Forest Rhinoceros Beetles
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Log base 5.0 cm long. Body length (including horns) 7.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.2-1:1.7 (slightly under 1:1)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen C. chiron in the Museum. Most figures of C. chiron are sold under its synonym, C. caucasus. Some assembly required (legs need to be attached) and the beetle attaches to its log base with an acrylic rod, from which it can be easily removed.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia)
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying wood and detritus; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The lifespan of C. chiron is roughly 1.5-2 years. Larvae live underground or in the host substrate for approximately 12-15 months. Pupation takes approximately 1-2 months. Adults live for about 3-5 months, with females living longer than males.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Goniurosaurus orientalis (Maki, 1931)
Common name(s): Japanese cave gecko; spotted ground gecko

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 8
Year of Production: 2008
Size/Scale: Figure length 7.0 cm. Snout-to-vent length 4.2 cm for a scale of 1:1.8-1:2.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed as G. kuroiwae orientalis but G. orientalis is now recognized as a valid species. There were two versions of this species in the set, this one with a complete tail and a second version with a regenerating tail. Being one of the original Choco Q figures, some assembly is required. Kaiyodo had previously released a version of this species in the second set of the Chocoegg Animatales line in conjunction with Furuta. Yujin released three different color variants of 'G. kuroiwae' and at least one of those looks to represent G. orientalis.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Tonaki Island)
Habitat: Wet, montane forests; often in rocky areas or the mouths of caves near small creeks and streams
Diet: Insects and other arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Karstic habitats have played a significant role in the evolution and diversification of most species of Goniurosaurus and is probably the ancestral habitat preference for the genus. Goniurosaurus orientalis belongs to the kuroiwae-group, members of which are not restricted to karstic habitats. It is believed diversification of the kuroiwae-group occurred due to isolation on various islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): great blue-spotted mudskipper

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Saltwater Fish Pictorial Book 2
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Total figure height 4.6 cm. Body length 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.5-1:3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The fish is removable from its base (and will lie down on its ventral side nicely), but it does leave a small, flat peg on the underside of the tail. Still, it does offer two potential ways to display the animal.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (southern Japan, Taiwan, China, Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia)
Habitat: Tidal mudflats, mangrove swamps; usually in open areas
Diet: Benthic algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Males jump (as shown in today's figure) and flash their fins as an attempt to attract females to their burrows to spawn.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Sauropelta edwardsorum Ostrom, 1970

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 18.5 cm for a scale of 1:27-1:32
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There are two good options for Sauropelta in the 'standard-sized' range, this one and the 2020 version by PNSO. The mainly differ in the arrangement of the neck spines and dorsal osteoderms. You can read a detailed comparison here on the Dinosaur Toy Blog, courtesy of forum member Lanthanotus. It has been pointed out that given how infrequently osteoderms and spines are found in their natural arrangemnt, it is probably not currently possible to exclude either interpretation (from what I can tell, the Safari figure looks to be based on the holotype AMNH 3032, but I don't know the full spectrum of resources Doug Watson used in preparing the model). Both figures are very similar in their size, scale, and posture.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) of present-day western North America
Habitat: Open coniferous woodlands, floodplains
Diet: Plants, including conifers and cycads
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Sauropelta edwardsorum shared its ecosystem with several other herbivores, the most common based on fossil recovery being Tenontosaurus. Major predators of Sauropelta and Tenontosaurus were Deinonychus and Acrocanthosaurus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille, 1804)
Common name(s): common pillbug; potato-bug; roly-poly

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Sofubi Toy Box
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Body length 13.5 cm for a scale of 7.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen A. vulgare in the Museum, and the second by Kaiyodo. There was an explosion of figures of this species starting in 2019 with the Dango Mushi line by Bandai, but from what I can tell, the two by Kaiyodo (the 2015 Capsule Q Museum figure and today's Sofubi Toy Box figure) came first.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Native to the Mediterranean Basin; introduced and naturalized nearly worldwide as a cosmopolitan species.
Habitat: Forests, fields, parks, gardens, disturbed areas; usually in soil, leaf litter, or under rocks and logs
Diet: Decaying vegetation
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Armadillidium vulgare, like other members of the family Armadillidiidae, is known for its defensive ability to roll into a ball, similar to the animals they were names for, the armadillos. This behavior is known as conglobulation. Other defenses against would-be predators include camouflage and the ability to secrete noxious chemicals from repugnatorial glands located on the pereon (main body region).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Panulirus brunneiflagellum Sekiguchi & George, 2005

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Sumida Aquarium
Year of Production: 2012
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.5 cm in diameter. Maximum width of figure 6.5 cm. Carapace length 1.5 cm for a scale of 1:6.3-1:8.0
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required. The lobster is removable from its base, to which it attaches with a clear acrylic rod (in mine, the rod broke within the base so the lobster is sitting loosely on the base).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Bonin Islands)
Habitat: Benthic; in open marine caves and on volcanic slopes at depths of 0-90 meters
Diet: Benthic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: Panulirus brunneiflagellum is endemic to the waters around the Bonin Islands (Ogasawara Group) and is the dominant species of spiny lobster within its range. It is a commercially-important species, with a haul of nearly 5 tonnes annually. The season for fishing P. brunneiflagellum closes from June to August to protect egg-bearing females.

[JimoAi]

Ahh I thought it was just another Japanese spiny lobster

[bmathison1972]

Species: Prosopocoilus bison (Olvier, 1789)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: DeAgostini
Series: World Insect Data Book
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 7.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the seventh species of Prosopocoilus we've seen in the Museum (and there are still more to come). The DeAgostini insects are cast from actual specimens and are therefore all in the 1:1 range. The figures were sold as premiums with books and come in a plastic display box with their Latin and Japanese names. I am not sure what year the figures were released, and it is possible they were released over multiple years. The original set from Japan consisted of 60 species (59 male Scarabaeoidea and one dragonfly), plus four 'secret' figures representing females of select scarab males. When the set was released in Italy, three of the standard set were replaced with other species, including a leaf insect. Between the two releases and secrets, I think there are 67 figures total representing 63 species. The figures are secured to the base of the box with a small screw, but can be safely removed if one choses to display them outside of the box.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands)
Habitat: Moist hardwood forest
Diet: Larvae develop in decaying palms and hardwood trees; adults feed on sap and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: As of now there are six subspecies of P. bison: P. b. bison (Irian Jaya, Papua, Bismark Island, New Ireland Island, New Britain Island, Yule Island, D'Entrecasteaus Island), P. b. flavocinctus (Sumatra), P. b. buruensis (Buru Island), P. b. tesserarius (Ambon Island, Kai Island, New Guinea), P. b. magnificus (Tanimbar Island), P. b. hortensis (Bougainville Island).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Brachypelma smithi (Pickard-Cambridge, 1897)
Common name(s): Mexican red-kneed tarantula

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: unknown
Series: unknown
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Legspan 8.0 cm. Body length (excluding appendages) 2.7 cm for a scale of approximately 1:2 for a female specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen B. smithi in the Museum. Today's figure comes from an unknown set of spiders that consists of 12 species that were mostly all produced by Club Earth or Play Visions (or both). While the sculpts are not 100% identical to those by either CE or PV, they are also stamped with the common name on the underside, so there is little question where the influence came from (although the sculpts are much more similar to those by CE rather than those by PV). Interestingly, however, this B. smithi wasn't represented in either collection (Play Visions produced a Brachypelma figure, but it's morphologically more consistent with B. emilia). When paired with a PV or CE figure, I show these 'unknown' spiders together with them, but today this B. smithi flies solo.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Mexico (southside of the Balsas River Basin in Guerrero)
Habitat: Tropical deciduous forests, thornscrub, semi-deserts
Diet: Primarily insects and other arthropods, occasionally small reptiles, amphibians, birds, rodents.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Near Threatened
Miscellaneous Notes: Brachypelma smithi is a docile spider that produced a relatively mild venom, at least to humans. The venon contains omega-theraphotoxin-Bs1a, a neurotoxin used for immobilizing small-animal prey.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Odontodactylus scyllarus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): peacock mantis shrimp

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Paleo-Creatures
Series: Unknown Depths
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Body length 7.0 cm for a scale of 2:1-1:2.5 (within 1:1 for a small specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This model was made by forum member Jetoar for his Paleo-Creatures line. There is also a resin figure of this species by My Favorite Animals. To my knowledge, O. scyllarus hasn't been made in toy forum by a major Western or Japanese company.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 0-100 meters (usually 10-30 meters)
Diet: Benthic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Odontodactylus scyllarus is a voracious predator and hunts by 'smashing', using its raptorial appendages to break open the shells or exoskeletons of their prey. It is a very strong mantis shrimp and in captivity has been known to break aquarium glass by striking its claws against the glass.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cheiracanthium japonicum Bösenberg & Strand, 1906
Common name(s): Japanese sac spider

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: Venomous Spiders
Year of Production: 2010
Size/Scale: Leaf base 4.0 cm wide. Body length of spider 1.8 cm for a scale of approximately 2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The spider is removable from its habitat-style base (which includes its egg sac). In addition, figures in this set come with a flat, round, black base with the spider's Japanese and Latin names and the degree of toxicity on a 1-5 scale using skulls-and-crossbones (see inset).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (China, Korean Peninsula, Japan)
Habitat: Open woodlands, grasslands, parks, gardens
Diet: Insects, other spiders
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Cheiracanthium japonicum makes three types of nests, for molting, mating, and nest-building (the last of which is demonstrated in today's figure). Over 20 species of plants are used for nest-building, with most of them being in the families Poaceae (grasses) and Asteraceae (composites). Females guard their egg sacs until after hatching and eventually offer themselves to their progeny as food (matriphagy).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dynastes hercules (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): Hercules beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kabaya
Series: Insect Directory
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including pronotal horn) 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:3 for a large male specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our tenth time seeing D. hercules in the Museum. The beetle on the log was in the main set; the flying beetle was the secret/chase figure. Both are removable from their respective bases.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and South America, Caribbean
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood; adults are attracted to fresh and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Although capable of flight, D. hercules is not a very efficient flyer, especially major males as they carry the extra burden of enlarged pronotal and cephalic horns.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dorcus grandis Didier, 1926

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: 4D Master
Series: Bug & Creature World
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 9.0 cm for a scale lightly larger than 1:1 for a large major male (natural body length up to about 8.5 cm)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen D. grandis in the Museum. 4D Master specifically marketed this as the nominate subspecies, D. g. grandis. Being a 'puzzle' figure, substantial assembly is required; this particular model comes in 25 pieces! According to the paperwork that comes with the model, you are a beginner if you can assemble it in 12 minutes, average if you can assemble it in 8 minutes, and advanced if it only takes you 6 minutes.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia
Habitat: Tropical broadleaf forest
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying wood; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Dorcus grandis takes about one year to mature. Eggs are laid in the late spring or early summer. Larvae feed in the host substrate throughout the summer and fall and overwinter in the larval stage. Pupation occurs in the late winter/early spring and adults emerge shortly thereafter.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Graphium doson (Felder & Felder, 1864)
Common name(s): common jay

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Insects of Japan Series 3
Year of Production: 2007
Size/Scale: Figure height 5.7 cm. If spread like a specimen, wingspan would come to approximately 9.0 cm for a scale of 1.8:1-1.2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Some assembly is required. Yujin would go on to use this same sculpt for the common bluebottle (G. sarpedon) in the fourth series of the Insects of Japan. The figure probably represents the subspecies G. d. mikado, as it's the only one of the 14 subspecies reported from Japan.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and Southeast Asia
Habitat: Lowland moist deciduous, evergreen, and mixed forests; usually in riparian areas
Diet: Larvae feed on a variety of plants in several families, including Annona (soursoap), Cinnamomum (cinnamon), Magnolia (magnolias), Polyathia, and Hunteria; adults take nectar from flowers and nutrients from mud puddles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Graphium doson is the most common and widespread of the Asian Graphium species, ranging from the Indian subcontinent and Pakistan, to Indonesia and the Philippines, north to Thailand and Japan (southern Honshū).

[bmathison1972]

After nine arthropods in a row, time for something different...

Species: Diomedea exulans Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): wandering albatross

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Sealife
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Figure width 19.5 cm. If spread fully, wingspan would come to approximately 21.5 cm for a scale of 1:11.7-1:16.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Diomedea exulans has only been made a few times, and not all are not marketed at the species level. In 2017, Safari Ltd. produced a 'giant albatross'. I believe Safari initially marketed it as a member of the genus Diomedia but collectors have noted its blue feet are more suggestive of an albatross in the genus Phoebastria. From what I recall, Diomedea species do not have blue feet (but I might be misremembering, and I couldn't research any information on the subject in this short of time).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern Hemisphere
Habitat: Pelagic; breeding occurs on islands, especially on plateaus, ridges, and valleys characterized by peat soils, tussock grass, sedges, mosses, and small shrubs
Diet: Fish, cephalopods, crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Diomedea exulans is monogamous and pairs breed every two years. Breeding occurs on off-shore islands in the Southern Hemisphere, including South Georgia, Prince Edward, Marion, Crozet, Kerguelen, Macquarie, Gough, Inaccessible, and the Antipodes Islands. Pairs tend to return to the same nesting site when it's time to breed again.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hyalophora cecropia (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): cecropia moth

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Smithsonian Insects
Year of Production: 1994
Size/Scale: Body length 14.0 cm for a scale of 1.4:1-1.2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this is the only figure of this species made by a major commercial manufacturer. Paleo-Creatures (Jetoar) made an adult for the Amazing Moths line. I would have rather photographed todays figure outside, but after four days of snow, there really isn't any appropriate habitat outside .

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern North America
Habitat: Deciduous forests, open woodlands, early successionals, riparian areas, suburban areas
Diet: Larvae feed on a wide variety of plants; preferred and favored plants include Acer (maple and box elder), Sambucus (elderberry), Liquidambar (sweet gym), Alnus (alder), Betula (birch), Cornus (dogwood), Sassafras (sassafras), Tilia (basswood), Myrica (wax myrtle), Prunus (wild cherry). Adults do not feed.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated (NatureServe status is Secure)
Miscellaneous Notes: Adult mated females lay eggs on the host plant, which hatch in about 10-14 days. The caterpillars feed throughout the summer and overwinter as pupae. Adult emerge in the spring and summer (March to August, depending on the climate). Hyalophora cecropia is univoltine, meaning there is only one generation a year. Caterpillars may serve as hosts to several parasitoids, such as chalcidoid and ichneumonid wasps and tabinid flies.

[Gwangi]

The Smithsonian Insects was such a great line. I had a few of them when I was a kid in the 90's and now I'm kicking myself for not keeping them.