Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lamypris noctiluca (Linnaeus, 1767)
Common name(s): common glowworm

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Large Insects and Spiders
Year of Production: 1994
Size/Scale: Body length (exclusive of wings and appendages) approximately 7.5 cm for a scale of 4.2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this is the only figure of this species by a major commercial manufacturer (although I have seen at least one bootleg of it). Forum member Jetoar (founder of Paleo-Creatures) made a female for me as a personal commission. One day he asked me what I would like for him to make; I said 'surprise me' and it is one of the things he came up with. The Paleo-Creatures female was showcased in the Museum back on February 23, 2021.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eurasia, North Africa
Habitat: Old-growth grasslands, verges, hedgebanks, and heaths; often in areas of chalk and limestone soils
Diet: Larvae feed on terrestrial mollusks; adults do not feed
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Lamypris noctiluca exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism. The male has the typical beetle body plan (as shown here today), but the female is larviform. It can be distinguished from larvae by color and the presence of compound eyes and developed sexual structures.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cercopithecus ascanius (Audebert, 1799)
Common name(s): red-tailed monkey; black-cheeked white-nosed monkey; red-tailed guenon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Monkeys and Apes TOOB
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Total figure length about 8.0 cm. Body length (excluding tail) approximately 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:7.6-1:15.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The body of this figure is probably too red for this species, although sometimes their base coat can lean more red or orange than grey. At the time of this writing, this figure is classified as the Atlantic masked titi (Callicebus personatus) on the Toy Animal Wiki site, probably because of the color, but the sculpted features and length-to-width ratio of the tail better support Cercopithecus over Callicebus. Despite the simple color (which was common in TOOBs of this era) I see no reason to question Safari's designation.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central Africa
Habitat: Primary and secondary rainforest, riverine gallery forest, swamp forests; usually in the middle canopy
Diet: Primarily fruit; also leaves, flowers, insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cercopithecus ascanius occurs in social groups of 7-30 individuals (usually 11-14). A group typically contains a dominant male, a matrilineal group of females, and their offspring. Males will leave a group when they are sexually mature and either survive alone or in all-male groups until they can replace the dominant male in a different troop. Sometimes, groups of C. ascanius will congregate at food resources or in large trees during periods of rest.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Alligator mississippiensis (Daudin, 1802)
Common name(s): American alligator

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2017 (1997)
Size/Scale: Measured along midline, body length approximately 20.5 cm for an average scale of 1:13-1:22 depending on the sex
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: My figure is a 2017 repaint of a model that originally came out in 1997. When I first started the non-arthropod part of my collection, this was the alligator I chose. However, I later switched to the 2019 version by Papo after reading the Blog review of it by forum member Lanthanotus. After reassessing that decision earlier this year, I put the Papo gator in the trade/donation bin and this Safari figure went back onto the shelves. Given how popular and familiar the American alligator is, it's surprising so few companies have been able to accurately capture it in terms of head shape, sculpt, and color (most alligator figures are an unrealistic shade of green). Today's figure by Safari is one of the better sculpts, and the updated color scheme makes it even better. The model also comes in a leucostic version. The Safari Wild Wildlife (originally Wildlife Wonders) alligator is often regarded as the best figure of this species, but it's rather large compared to most 'standard-sized' figures.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeastern United States
Habitat: Marshes, swamps, lakes, ponds, lagoons, irrigation ditches, canals, swimming pools
Diet: Generalist carnivore; prey depends on the size of the alligator and can include invertebrates, fish, birds, turtles, snakes, amphibians, and mammals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Alligator mississippiensis is one of the few reptiles that exhibits parental care. Females lay clutches of 20-50 eggs, usually in a mat of vegetation. The vegetation heats as it decays, keeping the eggs warm. The temperature at which the eggs incubate determines their sex; temperatures below 31.5°C or above 34.5°C usually produce females while temperatures between 32.5°C and 33.5°C usually produce males. The incubation period is approximately 65 days. The female alligator doesn't sit directly on the nest, but remains in close proximity to keep away raccoons and other predators and scavengers. After hatching, baby alligators call for their mother, who gently carries them to water in her mouth. Growing young usually spend about the first year with their mothers, after which they become independent.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Odontolabis spectabilis Boileau, 1902

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - small series, standard
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.5 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth species of Odontolabis we've seen in the Museum. The only other figure of this species I am aware of is a boxed figure by DeAgostini. The Sega 'small standard series' were 10 sets of 10 figures each, for a total of 100 figures representing 65-75 species of Lucanidae and dynastine Scarabaeidae. The dates of release are currently unknown to me (c. 2008). The figures were produced in conjunction with Bandai and came with Pokemon-style playing cards. At the time of this writing, I think I have all but two of the species. For a review of the sets, please see the overview by forum member Beetle guy here.
This figure has yellow painted at the base of the legs, but from what I can tell, the species should have solid black legs.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Sumatra
Habitat: Broadleaf rainforest
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other members of Odontolabis, I had difficulty researching biological information on this species and some of the information above is typical for other members of the genus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Leiurus quinquestriatus (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1829)
Common name(s): deathstalker; Palestine yellow scorpion; Omdurman scorpion; Naqab desert scorpion

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Sahara Desert Animals TOOB
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 5.8 cm for a scale of 1:1.4-1:1.9 (slightly under 1:2 for a large specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen L. quinquestriatus in the Museum. The eye arrangement of this figure is interesting. I cannot tell if the two prominent black eyes are the median eyes or frontal eyes, as there appears to be a pair of smaller eyes behind them (which would be the median eyes, making the larger front ones lateral eyes). While not 100% accurate, that is still an incredible point of detail for a figure of this small size!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Middle East, Asia Minor to Central Asia (Kazakhstan and western India)
Habitat: Deserts, scrubland
Diet: Small insects, arachnids, and other terrestrial invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: There are several neurotoxins in the venom of L. quinquestriatus, including chlorotoxin, charybdotoxin, scyllatoxin, and agitoxin, which block small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels. The venom also contains Lq2, which blocks various potassium channels, including the inward-rectifer potassium ion channel ROMK1.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Evenus regalis (Cramer, 1775)
Common name(s): regal hairstreak

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Butterflies TOOB
Year of Production: 2011
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 5.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: There are unidentified blue hairstreak butterflies produced by other companies (e.g., K&M International, Toy Major), but based on when they were produced they were probably influenced by the Club Earth figure of E. coronota.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Mexico to southern Brazil
Habitat: Tropical rainforest
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the family Sapotaceae, including Manilkara, Chrysophyllum, Pouteria; adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Larvae of E. regalis primarily feed on young buds and nearby leaves of the host plants. Larvae and pupae mimic the terminal buds of the host plant.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Farfantepenaeus duorarum (Burkenroad, 1939)
Common name(s): northern pink shrimp

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Incredible Creatures
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Figure approximately 10.5 cm wide. Measured along midline, body length (excluding appendages) is approximately 15.0 cm, within scale 1:1 (closer to 1:2 for a maximum-sized female specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Safari Ltd. only marketed this figure as a shrimp, and the identification is mine based on color, shape of the rostrum, and its presence in the waters around Florida, where Safari Ltd. is headquartered. Another option could be the royal red shrimp (Pleoticus robustus), but I favor F. duorarum. There are a few anatomical inaccuracies. The second pair of antennae are missing and the uropod (tail fan) has three appendages on each side when there should be only two (biramous). The leg number looks correct, but it is somewhat difficult to tell if there are 5 pairs of primary legs (pereopods) and 1 branched maxilliped, as there should be, or 6 legs, with a maxilliped attached to it. In other words, not sure if the first leg-like structure represents a pereopod and a maxilliped, or a branched maxilliped; if the latter, than the counts would be accurate (which I will assume it is).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Atlantic and Caribbean, from northern USA (Massachusetts) to southeastern Mexico (Campeche)
Habitat: Benthic, usually in areas with compacted muddy, silty, sandy, or sand/shell bottoms; at depths of 0-330 meters (usually 11-36 meters)
Diet: Microcrustaceans, small mollusks, diatoms, algae, plant detritus, bacterial films, marine slime molds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Farfantepenaeus duorarum is an extremely important commercial shrimp species. In 2022, landings of northern pink shrimp totaled 14.5 million pounds (6,577 metric tonnes) and were valued at $37 million USD. Over 75% of the shrimp were harvested along the west coast of Florida.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Prosopocoilus inclinatus (Motschulsky, 1857)
Common name(s): Japanese stag beetle; kuwagatamushi

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Japanese Stag Beetles; Capsule Q Museum - Insects Gather to Sap - Night Feast of Midsummer
Years of Production: 2013; 2015
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) of adult approximately 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.7 for a major male. Body length (including mandibles) of pupa approximately 7.0 cm, within scale 1:1 for a major male.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the eight time we've seen P. inclinatus in the Museum. The adult was produced in 2015 for the Insects Gather to Sap - Night Feast of Midsummer collection; it has a small non-obtrusive magnet on the underside. The pupa was produced in 2013 for the Japanese Stag Beetles collection; minimal assembly is required. Both sets are part of Kaiyodo's Capsule Q Museum line. Normally I don't mix figures from different sets in these posts, but since these are the only two figures of this species I have by Kaiyodo I thought I'd showcase them together.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (Japan, Taiwan, Korean Peninsula, eastern China)
Habitat: Oak forests
Diet: Larvae breed in rotting logs of Quercus (oak); adults are attracted to sap flows.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Prosopocoilus inclinatus is an easy species to rear in terraria and is popular in Japan.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Papilio xuthus Linnaeus, 1767
Common name(s): Asian swallowtail; Chinese yellow swallowtail

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai Spirits
Series: Life With Insect (Desktop Models; Key Holder); Insects in the World (Desktop Models)
Years of Production: 2020, 2021
Size/Scale: Adult figure 12.5 cm wide; if spread like a mounted specimen, the wingspan would be approximately 10.5 cm for a scale of 1.5:1-1.2:1. Body length of larvae approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1.5:1-1.2:1 (see below).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen P. xuthus in the Museum. The adult was produced in 2020 as part of the Life With Insect Key Holder collection. It is essentially a photograph of an adult butterfly printed on the back of the acrylic. Normally I don't collect photographs of animals on/in flat acrylic, but I do for butterflies and moths since I display my 'flat' lepidopteran figures in Riker mounts like actual specimens. The larva without the extended osmeterium was produced in 2020 as part of the Life With Insect Desktop Models collection while the larva with the extended osmeterium was produced in 2021 as part of the Insects in the World Desktop Models collection. Bandai Spirits insects are usually advertised as being in 1:1 scale, although usually at the high end of the scale or, as in the case today, slightly larger than 1:1.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia; introduced to Hawaii
Habitat: Forests, gardens, parks, citrus orchards
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the family Rutaceae, including cultivated Citrus; adults are attracted to flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Populations of P. xuthus are regulated by a couple parastoid hymenopterans, Trichogramma, an egg parasitoid, and Pteromalus, a pupal parasitoid. The parasitoids normally have shorter life spans and generation times than the butterfly (which is necessary to complete their life cycle while the butterfly is in its respective stages). When the butterfly population reaches a high density, because of a shorter generational turn around of the parasites, intergeneration responses of the parasites are faster than those of the butterflies, resulting in a responding increased growth of the parasites. Overall, this creates an evolutionary stable system (ESS) that helps keep populations of both butterfly and its parasitoids in check.

[bmathison1972]

I forgot to mention, tomorrow will be post 1100! So, I'll have some stats/numbers updates

[bmathison1972]

Species: Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758
Common name(s): Ongole cattle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Safari Farm
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Height at withers (excluding hump) approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:20-1:21
Frequency of breed in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The figure is sculpted as a cow with udders but the hump is probably too well developed for a cow, and looks more like a hump one would expect to find on a bull.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: The breed originated in the Prakasam District of Andhra Pradesh, India; today it is also bred in the United States, Central and South America, Southeast Asia, some Indo-Pacific Islands, and Australia.
Habitat: Tropical rainforest, plains, farmland, pasture
Diet: Grasses, crops and crop residues, legumes, various fodder trees
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Domesticated
Miscellaneous Notes: The Ongole is bred for beef, milk, and as a draught animal. It also appears to have some resistance to hoof-and-mouth disease and mad cow disease. The Ongole has served as stock for other breeds around the world, including the Santa Gertrudis and Brahman in the United States and the Nelore in Brazil.





With today's post being the 1100th, it is time for a fun stats update.

Raw Numbers:

Number of time we've seen major groups in the Museum. These are raw numbers based on the posts, and includes figures that have been removed from my collection. In July 2022, I purged about 200 insect figures from my collection, including 52 that had already been showcased in the Museum. Since then, additional figures have been removed or replaced. The number in parenthesis is what the numbers were like at post 1000.

Arthropods: 588 (530)
Mammals: 149 (129)
Fish: 95 (91)
Birds: 92 (86)
Non-Arthropod Invertebrates: 56 (52)
Reptiles: 55 (50)
Dinosaurs: 28 (27)
Amphibians: 30 (28)
Protozoans/Plankton: 7 (7)

*Taxonomic Notes. Birds include all theropods within Euavialae, extinct or extant. The Dinosaur category is for 'traditional' prehistoric dinosaur clades (except anything in Euavialae); pterosaurs; mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs and other prehistoric aquatic reptiles; prehistoric crocodylomorphs; prehistoric non-mammal synapsids; and prehistoric reptiles with no close modern relatives. Amphibians include some prehistoric stem tetrapods.

Now, within Arthropods. Like with the major groups above, this is based on all posts, including those that have been removed and/or replaced in my collection. The number in parenthesis is what the numbers were like at post 1000:

Insects: 414 (376)
Crustaceans: 87 (77)
Arachnids: 65 (56)
Misc. Arthropods: 22 (21)


Here are posts that remove two or more figures from the database. This is usually done when the same species has more than one example in a set or collection (e.g., male and female figures released together), but may also be used for uncommonly or rarely made species by the same company or for the rare instances the non-arthropod part of my collection is not synoptic (e.g., a shark where the adult is made by one company and a juvenile by the other). For the database, with the exception of life cycle sets, one line represents one figure. So, in these cases it is when the random number generator lands on one of the two (or more), but both (or more) are reviewed and removed. The following is how many times we have seen posts that remove two or more from the database; the number in parenthesis is how many there were at the 1000th post:
Two figures: 96 (86)
Three figures: 6 (5)
Four figures: 2 (2)
Five figures: 1 (1)


Now some interesting tidbits of information:

Species that have been seen more than once:
Acherontia atropos (2), Aglais urticae (2), Allomyrina dichotoma (13), Allotopus rosenbergi (6), Anomalocaris canadensis (2), Anoplophora chinensis (2), Apis mellifera (4), Armadillidium vulgare (3), Atrax robustus (3), Bathynomus giganteus (6), Beckius beccarii (2), Birgus latro (2), Bombyx mori (2), Bos taurus (4), Brachypelma smithi (4), Cambaroides japonicus (3), Canis lupus (2), Chalcosoma atlas (2), Chalcosoma chiron (5), Chalcosoma moellenkampi (3), Cheirotonus jambar (3), Chiromantes haematocheir (3), Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (2), Coccinella septempunctata (4), Cybister chinensis (3), Cyclommatus elaphus (3), Danaus plexippus ( 8 ), Daphina pulex (2), Dorcus grandis (3), Dorcus hopei (6), Dorcus rectus (2), Dorcus titanus (3), Dynastes grantii (3), Dynastes hercules (11), Dynastes neptunus (5), Eupatorus gracilicornis (3), Evenus (2), Formica rufa (2), Gallus gallus (2), Gelasimus tetragonon (2), Goliathus goliatus (2), Goliathus orientalis (2), Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata (4), Harmonia axyridis (2), Hebomoia glaucippe (2), Heliconius charithonia (2), Hexarthrius mandibularis (2), Hyalophora cecropia (2), Hymenopus coronatus (3), Idea leuconoe (4), Idolomantis diabolica (2), Lamprima adolphinae (2), Lamypris noctiluca (2), Latrodectus hasselti (2), Latrodectus mactans (4), Leiurus quinquestriatus (2), Locusta migratoria (3), Lucanus cervus (5), Lucanus maculifemoratus (6), Macrocheira kaempferi (3), Macrodontia cervicornis (2), Mantis religiosa (2), Megasoma actaeon (4), Megasoma elaphas (3), Megasoma mars (2), Mesene phareus (2), Mesotopus tarandus (6), Morpho menelaus (4), Morpho peleides (2), Odontolabis burmeisteri (3), Ogyris genoveva (2); Onchorhynchus clarkii (2), Pandinoides cavimanus (2), Pandinus imperator (2), Papilio machaon (4), Papilio xuthus (4), Phalacrognathus muelleri (2), Poecilotheria regalis (2), Portunus pelagicus (3), Procambarus clarkii (3), Prosopocoilus dissimilis (3), Prosopocoilus giraffa (4), Prosopocoilus inclinatus ( 8 ), Prosopocoilus zebra (2), Rhaetulus didieri (2), Rosalia batesi (2), Sasakia charonda (3), Scarabaeus typhon (2), Scylla serrata (2), Tachypleus tridentatus (2), Vanessa atalanta (2), Vespa mandarinia (5).

Genera with more than one species:
Acherontia (2), Aeshna (2), Aglais (2), Allomyrina (2), Ambystoma (2), Ameerega (2), Anas (2), Androctonus (2), Aphonopelma (2), Argiope (2), Atergatis (2), Bison (2), Bombus (2), Brachypelma (3), Caiman (2), Calappa (3), Canis (2), Canthigaster (2), Carabus (3), Carassius (2), Carcharhinus (2), Cercopithecus (2), Chalcosoma (3), Cheirotonus (3), Coccinella (3), Coenobita (2), Cuora (2), Cyclommatus (3), Dendrobates (2), Dorcus (6), Dynastes (3), Dyscophus (2), Erinaceus (2), Equus (4), Eupatorus (2), Falco (2), Geochelone (2), Giraffa (2), Goliathus (4), Golofa (3), Gonypteryx (2), Graphium (2), Hexarthrius (4), Hippotragus (2), Homo (3), Hyperolius (2), Hypolimnas (2), Lactoria (2), Lamprima (2), Latrodectus (3), Lucanus (2), Lynx (3), Macaca (3), Manis (2), Megasoma (4), Mictyris (2), Morpho (5), Myotis (2), Odontolabis (4), Oncorhynchus (3), Ornithoptera (4), Oryx (2), Ostracion (2), Panulirus (4), Papilio ( 8 ), Parnassius (2), Phrynosoma (2), Polistes (4), Pongo (2), Portunus (2), Prosopocoilus ( 8 ), Rhaetulus (2), Rosalia (2), Scolopendra (2), Spheniscus (4), Takifugu (2), Takydromus (2), Ursus (3), Vanessa (2), Vespa (3), Vespula (2), Zerene (2).


Companies:

Here are a list of companies (alphabetical order) and how many have come up in each (some posts can have more than one company). Companies with an asterisk are new since the last stats update:
   
4D Master 6
AAA 5
Access Toys/The Access 1
Adventure Planet 1
Agatsuma Entertainment 3
AMT/Ertl 1
AquaKitz 1
Aquameridian Ltd./For Corporation 1
Arboreum Artwork 3
Ayano Katyama 3
Bandai/Bandai Spirits 35
Beam 1
Beauty of Beasts 1
Blip Toys 4
Break Co. Ltd. 2
Bullyland 23
Caboodle! Toys/Noah's Pals 2
Cadbury/Yowie Group 45
CBIOV 1
Chap Mei 1
Club Earth/Wing Mau 38
Coca Cola 3
CollectA 53
Colorata 38
DeAgostini 24
Discovery Channel 1
Dreams Come True Ltd. 3
Easter Unlimited Ltd. 1
Eikoh 3
Epoch/Tarlin 19
FaunaFigures 1
Favorite Co. Ltd. 6
F-toys 15
Funrise Toys 4
Hayakawa Toys 4
Heller 1*
Ikimon/Kitan Club 40
Imperial Toys 2
Innovative Kids 2
Insect Lore 8
Jam 2
K&M International 25
Kabaya 14
Kaiyodo/Furuta 175
Koro Koro 2
Land & Sea Collectibles 2
Maia & Borges 4
Maruka 1
Mojö Fun 9
My Favorite Animals 3
Naturalism 4
NECA 2
New-Ray 2
Nihon Auto Toy 2
Paleocasts 5
Paleo-Creatures 8
Paleozoo 1
Papo 28
Play Visions 44
PNSO 6
Qualia 2
Rainbow 1
Rainforest Café 1
Rebor 1
Re-Ment 3
Royal Ontario Museum 1
Running Press 1
Safari Ltd. 119
Schleich 17
Science and Nature 7
Sega 52
ShanTrip 3
Shine-G 3
Signatustudio 1*
Skillcraft 3
SO-TA/Toys Spirits 6
Southlands Replicas 7
Stasto 3D File 3
Stewart Sales & Services 2
Takara Tomy A.R.T.S./Subarudo 37
Tedco Toys 1
Toy Fish Factory/Replica Toy Fish 9
Toy Major 10
Trendmasters 2
Trilobiti Design 1
US Toy 3
Vivid Toy Group 2
Wild Kraatz 2
Wolff Marketing Group 1
Yell 5
Yujin 49
unknown 17



Anyway, we'll look at stats again after post 1200!! Until then, enjoy the posts!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hymenopus coronatus (Olivier, 1792)
Common name(s): orchid mantis

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Mantids Vol. 3
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Legspan 11.0 cm. Body length (excluding appendages) approximately 9.0 cm. Scale difficult to calculate, as it's hard to find metrics for the nymphal stages, but assuming the sculpt represents an L5-L7 nymph (see below), the scale could be anywhere from 3:1-2:1.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen H. coronatus in the Museum. Being a figure in the Diversity of Life on Earth line, the model is large, requires assembly, and the final product has multiple points of articulation. There was also a pink version of this nymph in the set, but I opted only for the white version. Hope the pic turned out OK; photographing white figures can be challenging at times.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, from western India to Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: After hatching, H. coronatus has eight developmental stages, seven nymphal stages (L1-L7) and the adult.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dynastes neptunus (Quensel, 1817)
Common name(s): Neptune beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - standard series, small
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including horns) approximately 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.6 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our sixth look at D. neptunus in the Museum. The Sega 'small standard series' were 10 sets of 10 figures each, for a total of 100 figures representing 65-75 species of Lucanidae and dynastine Scarabaeidae. The dates of release are currently unknown to me (c. 2008). The figures were produced in conjunction with Bandai and came with Pokemon-style playing cards. At the time of this writing, I think I have all but two of the species. For a review of the sets, please see the overview by forum member Beetle guy here.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela)
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood within treeholes of living trees, including Alchornea (achotillo), Ocotea (cashiacara), and Urera (ortiguillo); adults feed on overripe fruit and sap flows.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other large dynastine scarab beetle, D. neptunus is named after a character from Greek or Roman mythology, in this case Neptune, the Roman god of freshwater and the sea.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) Kofold & Swezy, 1921
Common name(s): sea tinkle; sea sparkle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Science Techni Colour - Microorganism Acrylic Mascot
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Body approximately 3.5 cm in diameter for a scale of 175:1-17.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen N. scintillans in the Museum! Figures in this set are essentially illustrations/photographs of microorganisms encased in acrylic. They were also sold as keychains (hence the hole in the clear part of the acrylic).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate oceans
Habitat: Neritic; usually near the surface of the water along coasts and the mouths of rivers
Diet: The 'green form' is autotropic with the aid of the photosynthetic symbiotic eukaryote Pedinomonas noctiluca when present in its vacuole; the 'red form' is heterotrophic on other planktonic organisms, including phytoplankton, copepod eggs, naupilar larvae, and fish eggs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Noctiluca scintillans can be responsible for 'red tide', whereby an excessive population increase of an alga causes damage to the surrounding ecosystem. Noctiluca scintillans itself does not produced toxins, but the eventual decay of the algal blooms can result in significant ammonia production, resulting in a dramatic drop in the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water ultimately leading to stress, shock, and mass die-off of fish.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Julodis viridipes Lapore de Castelnau, 1835
Common name(s): brush jewel beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: unknown
Series: unknown
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 4.0 cm for a scale of 1.8:1-1.1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: I don't know anything about this figure, including who made it or when it released. It is in the style of many of the figures from the 1990s. It was part of a set of exotic beetles I bought on eBay years ago. Some of the species are on the same Italian Beetles poster that was the influence for the Wing Mau beetles, but others are not. It was probably influenced from a popular book at the time, such as Art Evans' An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles.

The figure was clearly modeled after a member of the genus Julodis. There are a couple species with this basic form. None of them have pink but at least J. viridipes (syn. J. klugii) has a base color of blue. Ideally, the tufts of setae should be yellow to orange. Not something I would probably pursue today, but it's hard to turn down unique figures of interesting, exotic insects.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: South Africa
Habitat: Succulent Karoo
Diet: Larvae bore into stems of Zygophyllum foetidum; adults feed on the foliage of Didelta spinosa
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Larvae of many members of the family Buprestidae burrow in dead/dying branches on otherwise healthy trees. Some are leaf and stem miners on herbaceous and woody plants and grasses while others  are gall-makers. Larval development in the host plant can take anywhere from one to several years depending on the species.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Megasoma elephas (Fabricius, 1775)
Common name(s): elephant beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kabaya
Series: Insect Directory
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including cephalic horn) approximately 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:2.5 for large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our fourth look at M. elephas in the Museum. The insect is removable from its log base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central America and northern South America
Habitat: Rainforests, plantations
Diet: Larvae feed on detritus in rotting logs and tree stumps, under bark, and in tree holes; adults feed on sap and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Megasoma elephas is active at night and is able to maintain a high internal temperature during the cooler ambient temperature during the night. This metabolic response is not associated with locomotion or any other overt activity. Warming is initiated when the body temperature reaches an apparent set point of 20-22°C. Unlike the case for euthermic birds and mammals, energy metabolism and body temperature in these beetles are conspicuously oscillatory, with a given cycle in oxygen consumption peaking before the corresponding cycle in body temperature.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lates japonicus Katayama & Taki, 1984
Common name(s): Japanese lates; Japanese barramundi; akame

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Shikoku Aquarium
Series: Capsule Figure Collection
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:18.6 for a maximum-sized specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was produced by the Shikoku Aquarium in conjunction with an unknown manufacturer. When it was first announced, the assumption is that it was Kaiyodo, but it turned out not to have been. The fish is removable from its base. I am aware of four other figures of this species, all produced by Kaiyodo, two of which represent juveniles.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan
Habitat: Coastal ocean and estuaries; juveniles migrate up freshwater rivers
Diet: Juveniles feed on zooplankton; adults feed on aquatic invertebrates and other fish (including their own species)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Lates japonicus is endemic to the waters around Japan, specifically Tosa Bay in Kōchi Prefecture, Shikoku, and near Miyazaki City in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu. Adults spawn in estuaries and surrounding ocean and juveniles migrate up the Shimanto and Ōyodo Rivers, respectively. The related barramundi (L. calcarifer) replaces it around the Ryukyu Islands and southward.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Megasoma elephas (Fabricius, 1775)
Common name(s): elephant beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King - large series, standard
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including cephalic horn) approximately 13.3 cm, within scale 1:1 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our fifth look at M. elephas in the Museum and the second in three days; gotta love randomness! I cannot remember if assembly is required but it doesn't appear so. The inset shows the figure in my hand; it's a good way to demonstrate the mass of this life-sized insect!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central America and northern South America
Habitat: Rainforests, plantations
Diet: Larvae feed on detritus in rotting logs and tree stumps, under bark, and in tree holes; adults feed on sap and ripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Depending on the metrics used, M. elephas is one of the largest or bulkiest insects in the world. Males can reach nearly 14 centimeters in length (including the cephalic horn) and weigh 50-70 grams.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hebomoia glaucippe (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): great orange-tip

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Science Techni Colour - Private Specimen of a Lepidopterist Acrylic Mascot 1
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Wingspan approximately 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.6-1:2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen H. glaucippe in the Museum. Of the roughly 5-10 figures of adults of this species I have seen, this is the only one representing a male specimen. The figures in this series are essentially photographs of butterflies and moths embedded in acrylic. Flip the figure over and the underside reveals an image of the ventral side of the animal, too. They are also sold as keychains (hence the hole in the acrylic above the head).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central to Southeast Asia, southern Japan
Habitat: Highly variable, including rainforests, fields, grasslands, arid scrubland, disturbed areas.
Diet: Larval host plants include capers (Capparis, Crateva), and spider plants (Cleome); adults feed on nectar, with a preference for Lantana.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Hebomoia glaucippe is variable throughout its range due to a large number (upwards of 28) subspecies. They also vary based on wet-season or dry-season broods. In addition, the butterfly exhibits sexual dimorphism. Males (as seen here today) are dorsally predominantly white, with the characteristic brown-bordered orange tip to the front wings that gives this group of pierids their common name. Females are slightly darker (more dirty white dorsally) and have a dark border to the hind wings and a series of subtraingular dark brown to black spots running parallel to the border at the apices of veins 2-7.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, 1810
Common name(s): bluegill

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Fish Factory
Series: American Anglers
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Body length approximately 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:2.9-1:6.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This sculpt was previously used for Replica Toy Fish's 3" Collection. Previous to that, the species had been produced by Yujin.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Native to eastern North America in the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River systems; widely introduced throughout the rest of North America, Hawaii, Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe
Habitat: Freshwater lakes, reservoirs, slow-moving streams and rivers; usually in well-vegetated waters
Diet: Primarily freshwater invertebrates and small fish; occasionally algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: As a popular game fish, L. macrochirus has been widely introduced around the world. In some areas, it is causing negative effects on the local freshwater ecosystems and is now banned in some countries such as Germany and Japan. Bluegill can overcrowd and stunt the growth of native fish and feed on ecologically fragile freshwater invertebrates.