Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Xantusia arizonae Klauber, 1931
Common name(s): Arizona night lizard

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Wing Mau
Series: Lizards
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Total figure length as displayed 12.5 cm. Snout-to-vent length approx. 5.7 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (as a sculpt, see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: There are two color versions of this sculpt. Both are marked 'Arizona night lizard' but today's is painted like typical X. arizonae while the other, which was seen in the Museum in August 2021 is painted like Bezy's night lizard (X. bezyi), a species that was undescribed at the time these figures were produced (see below). The sculpt was also used for Club Earth's Lizards to Go collection.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West-central Arizona, USA
Habitat: Upland Sonoran Desert and Interior Chaparral; usually among granite rock outcrops, packrat nests, and dead yucca
Diet: Small insects and arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Prior to 2001, described species of Xantusia from Arizona included the desert night lizard (X. vigilis) and the Arizona night lizard (X. arizonae), the latter of which is sometimes considered a subspecies of the former. In 2001, X. bezyi was described from central Arizona based on molecular, morphologic, and ecological data. Among the morphologic features that helps distinguish X. bezyi are the larger maculae on a frequently orangish background. Typical X. arizonae and X. vigilis have smaller maculae that are arranged in somewhat irregular and disorganized rows, as seen in today's figure.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Oncorhynchus masou masou (Brevoort, 1856)
Common name(s): cherry salmon; cherry trout; masu salmon

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Freshwater Fish Pictorial Book 1
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:6-1:13.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The fish is removable from its base. Yujin produced at least two other versions of this sculpt; I believe mine is from the original release. They also produced a special chase figure that was a different sculpt and represented the full breeding phase of the fish. Colorata also produced the masu and Kaiyodo produced a different subspecies (O. m. macrostomus) for the Birdtales line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northwest Pacific, from the Russian Far East to Taiwan; introductions to other parts of the world deemed unsuccessful
Habitat: Anadromous. Young fish under three years live in freshwater rivers; adults are marine, benthopelagic, at depths of 0-200 meters.
Diet: Crustaceans, small fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Eating undercooked marine fish is a risk for anisakiasis, a zoonotic nematode infection caused by members of the genera Anisakis, Pseudoterranova, and Contracaecum. The disease is commonly seem in communities that regularly eat raw or undercooked marine and brackish water fish. Sampling of several fish, including O. masou masou, in the East Sea, South Sea, and Yellow Sea around the Korean Peninsula have shown relatively high infection rates with anisakids, especially Type 1 Anisakis species, which includes the A. simplex-complex.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Delias fasciata Rothschild, 1894

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Science Techni Colour - Private Specimen of a Lepidopterist Acrylic Mascot 3
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Wingspan approx. 4.8 cm for a scale of 1:1.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: 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: Indonesia (Sumba)
Habitat: Tropical deciduous rainforest
Diet: Larval host plants unknown; adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Delias fasciata is endemic to the Indonesian island Sumba. I couldn't find any information on the biology of this species and its host plant is unknown (or at least has not been published).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mycalesis gotama fulgina Fruhstorfer, 1911
Common name(s): Chinese brushbrown

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Caterpillars Vol. 4
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 6.8 cm for a scale of 2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was specifically marketed as the subspecies M. g. fulgina, which is endemic to Japan. The information below is based on the species as a whole, since it was more challenging to find biological information for individual subspecies.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical broadleaf forest margins, grasslands, agricultural fields, riparian areas
Diet: Larvae feed on several species of grasses, including members of the genera Miscanthus (silvergrass), Setaria (pitpit), Isachne (bloodgrasses), Oryza (rice), Bambusa (clumping bamboos); adults primarily feed on nectar from flowers, but also aphid honeydew, overripe fruit, and nutrients derived from damp soil and mudpuddles.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: There are four subspecies of M. gotama. Mycalesis g. charaka occurs in India (Assam) to southern China and northern Vietnam. Mycalesis g. nanda is endemic to Taiwan while M. g. fulgina (today's figure) is endemic to Japan. I had trouble finding the full range of the type subspecies, M. g. gotama, but the type specimen is online at the Museum of Comparative Zoology's database, and the specimen's label says 'Central China'.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Enteroctopus dofleini (Wülker, 1910)
Common name(s): giant Pacific octopus; North Pacific giant octopus

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Incredible Creatures
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Figure approx. 19.5 cm across its widest points. Mantle length approx. 6.8 cm for a scale of 1:7.4-1:8.8.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: My figure is an updated sculpt of the original 2006 model that incorrectly had two hyponomes (siphons), one on each side of the mantle. I am not sure what year the update occurred. The frequency of this species in our hobby is hard to determine, as very few figures have been specifically marketed as E. dofleini. Most generic octopus figures are generally assumed to represent the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris). The smaller Wild Safari Sealife figures, both the original orange from 1997 and the updated blue/green version for 2016, were also marketed as the giant Pacific octopus, I believe.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North Pacific, south to the Yellow Sea in the West Pacific and Baja California in the East Pacific
Habitat: Intertidal zone, including tidal pools and kelp beds; at depths of 0-1,500 meters
Diet: Crustaceans, shelled mollusks, cephalopods (including other octopuses), small fish (including young sharks)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other species of octopus, E. dofleini is considered highly intelligent. Its brain has folded lobes, which is considered an element of complexity, as well as visual and tactile memory centers. The giant Pacific octopus can solve simple puzzles, open 'child-proof' containers, and use tools. Individual octopi keep in aquariums have demonstrated the ability to recognize individual humans they come in regular contact with and exhibit specific behaviors for each person they interact with.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gorilla gorilla gorilla (Savage, 1847)
Common name(s): western lowland gorilla

About the Figure:
Manufacturers: Schleich; Toymany
Series: Wild Life Africa; Baby Wildlife
Years of Production: 2017; 2024
Size/Scale: Scale of adult difficult to calculate but using body length as a metric (n=6.0 cm), scale comes to approximately 1:14.2-1:16.2. The infant gorilla stands 5.0 cm tall (see below).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Indeterminant (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen G. g. gorilla in the Museum. The last time was this Schleich adult, but now I am showing it again alongside the recently-acquired Toymany infant. Determining the frequency of this species/subspecies in our hobby is a challenge, since most gorilla figures are not marketed at the species/subspecies level and features separating them are 'soft' and hard to interpret in a small plastic rendition. I found it very difficult to find metrics to calculate scale for the adult, as most online references use armspan or height when standing on two legs. The scale above was calculated using a reference that does not include the head when measuring body length. I also cannot calculate an accurate scale of the infant without knowing its precise age, but if truly intended to be an infant, it scales too big in comparison with this adult.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Equatorial West Africa
Habitat: Montane primary and secondary rainforest, lowland swamp forest, riparian areas, forest edges, abandoned agricultural land
Diet: Roots, shoots, fruit, foliage, tree bark and pulp; diet varies based on seasonal availability
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Gorilla g. gorilla has a gestation period of about 9 months and mothers typically give birth to a single offspring at a time. Baby gorillas are born helpless and are completely dependent on their mothers for care and protection. Infant gorillas are quite tiny compared to their parents, weighing on average 1.8 kg. They are adapted for clinging onto their mothers' fur and ride on their mothers' backs starting at about four months until they are 2-3 years old. Gorillas live in troops led by one or more males, females, and their offspring with those females. Infanticide sometimes occurs in gorilla troops, whereby males will kill infants that are not theirs, thus making the mother available for mating earlier than she would be had she had to care for an offspring.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Metacarcinus magister (Dana, 1852)
Common name(s): Dungeness crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: AAA
Series: Sea World
Year of Production: Unknown
Size/Scale: Carapace width approx. 5.8 cm for a scale of 1:2.7-1:4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen M. magister in the Museum. Like many of their crustaceans and mollusks, AAA released at least two sizes of this species. This is a small version of M. magister; I also have a larger version which was already showcased in the early days of this thread back in December 2020.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Coast of North America, from the Aleutian Islands to Baja California Sur
Habitat: Sandy or muddy-sand bottoms in subtidal areas of bays and estuaries, often in eelgrass beds
Diet: Marine invertebrates, fish eggs; cannibalism not uncommon
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Metacarcinus magister is a very important commercial shellfish. The annual catch varies by state and year, but averages between 35-55 million pounds annually, valuing at $77-216 million USD. In 2019, Seafood Watch gave the Dungeness crab a sustainability record of 'Good Alternative', meaning it was safe to use them for food, but remaining alert to possible risks. Some fisheries of the Dungeness have closed in the last few decades due to population decreases of the crab. The reason for some of the population decline is unknown, but in some cases it is from a resurgence of sea otter populations.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allomyrina dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1771)
Common name(s): Japanese rhinoceros beetle; kabutomushi

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Beetles Vols. 2 and 7
Years of Production: 2021; 2024
Size/Scale: Wingspan of adult, as displayed here, approx. 18.5 cm. Body length (incl. cephalic horn) of adult approx. 10.5 cm for a scale of 2.6:1-1.3:1. Pupa approx. 9.3 cm for a scale of 2.3:1-1.2:1 based on adult metrics.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fifteenth time we have seen A. dichotoma in the Museum. For both of these models, assembly is required, and the adult has several points of articulation. Allomyrina dichotoma is the most commonly made species of insect. The adult here is from one of the early Diversity collections, before I knew what the series would become and before I narrowed my acceptance criteria for insect figures out of Japan. Since this adult was released, the species has been produced at least seven more times for the Diversity line, including the pupa shown here today that came out earlier this year. I had no intention of purchasing the pupa, but it was accidentally sent to me by a dealer I work with regularly and he let me keep it for free, so I retained it (despite how common this species is in our hobby, there are still very few figures of its immature stages).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia, including China, Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and Japan
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed on organic detritus in soil; adults are attracted to sap and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Gravid female A. dichotoma scatter their eggs in the humus portion of the soil, usually from July to September. The larvae feed on humus and other organic detritus in the soil and pupate from June-July the following year. Adults eclose a couple months after pupating. The entire life cycle from oviposition to eclosion is approximately one year.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Xylotrupes gideon (Linnaeus, 1767)
Common name(s): brown rhinoceros beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: AAA
Series: Insects
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. horns) approx. 6.0 cm, within scale 1:1 and up to 1:1.2 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen X. gideon in the Museum. This figure came in a polybag set of mostly otherwise generic insects and the identification is my own.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia, Solomon Islands, Moluccas, Papua New Guinea, eastern Australia
Habitat: Forests, palm plantations, suburban areas
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying logs; adults feed on bark, branches, midribs, flowers, and sap of host trees
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Xyotrupes gideon is considered a pest of several commercial plants throughout its range, including coconut palm, banana, plum, oil palm, sugarcane, rubber, bamboo, cacao, litchi, apple, pear, Chinese cinnamon, potato, and okra.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lamprima adolphinae (Gestro, 1875)
Common name(s): green stag beetle; New Guinea stag beetle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kabaya
Series: World Insect Series 1
Year of Production: 2001
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. mandibles) approx. 5.8 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our third look at L. adolphinae in the Museum. Figures in this set painted with the gold paint can be brittle, and I have had some crumble and have to be replaced (although I can't remember off-hand if this was one of them...).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: New Guinea
Habitat: Montane rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood of several plants infested with fungi (white rot); adults feed on fruit and sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: This species is very popular with collectors and breeders, but appears to have a thriving population in nature and does not seem to be negatively affected by collecting. Despite their popularity, little is known about their natural biology.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Androctonus australis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): yellow fat-tailed scorpion

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Wild Animals
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 10.0 cm, within scale 1:1 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen A. australis in the Museum. This scorpion was produced alongside a European wolf spider, Papo's first two arthropods! They would go three more years before making their third, a praying mantis. Then, in 2020 the flood gates opened, and between 2020-2023 they produced 14 more insects and spiders! In 2023, most of these were moved from Wild Animals to a new line, Garden Animals. For those whom arthropods are not a focus, but want to add some to their collection, my recommendation is start with Papo!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern and northeastern Africa, Middle East, Central Asia
Habitat: Deserts
Diet: Insects and other arachnids, including its own species
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Androctonus australis has a very potent venom and there are several deaths from its stings every year. The venom is composed of a mixture of neurotoxins, cardiotoxins, myotoxins, and hemotoxins. Many scorpion genes affect certain channels, including Na+, K+, Ca2+ or Cl− channels. As such, some toxins, such as AaTX1, may eventually have some therapeutic utilization for conditions such as episodic ataxia, epilepsy, heart arrhythmia, or hearing loss, which are associated with mutations in voltage-activated potassium channel genes.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Muntiacus vuquangensis (Tuoc et al., 1994)
Common name(s): giant muntjac; large-antlered muntjac

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Caboodle! Toys, LLC
Series: Noah's Pals
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder of male approx. 3.3 cm for a scale of 1:19.7-1:21.2. Female slightly smaller with a shoulder height of approx. 2.8 cm, within scale with male.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique (as a pair)
Miscellaneous Notes: Noah's Pals figures are marketed in the 1:24 range, but this pair is slightly larger than that. However, I had difficulty finding consistent metrics to use for calculating scale, so depending on metrics used, these figures may scale down anywhere from 1:22-1:27.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia; primarily in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos, also central Cambodia
Habitat: Montane broadleaf evergreen forest, mixed broadleaf evergreen-pine forests
Diet: unknown; presumably leaves of bamboo, palms, and tree saplings in the forest undergrowth
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Very little has been documented on this species, including its breeding and dietary habits, activity patterns, movements, home range, and socialization. Like other muntjacs, it's presumed to be diurnal, solitary or living in very small herds, and a browser of low vegetation and fruit. Muntiacus vuquangensis is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN because of hunting and logging and slash-and-burn agriculture.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ogcocephalus darwini Hubbs, 1958
Common name(s): red-lipped batfish; Galápagos batfish

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: Encyclopedia of Strange Creatures - How Did This Happen?
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:5-1:6.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The fish attaches to its base with a small acrylic rod (see inset) and is removable from the base. The placard contains biological information in Japanese. The fish is not identified to the species level, but based on the bright red lips and other red markings, O. darwini is in my opinion the best candidate.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Pacific, from the Galápagos Islands to Peru
Habitat: Coral reefs, benthic; at depths of 3-120 meters (usual range 3-76 meters)
Diet: Benthic invertebrates, small fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Batfish are a kind of anglerfish. The extended 'snout' (illicium) is a modification of the dorsal fin and functions as a lure to draw in potential prey.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Common name(s): bald eagle; American bald eagle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wings of the World
Year of Production: 2008
Size/Scale: Scale difficult to measure based on posture. The body length is approx. 10.5 cm for a scale of 1:6.7-1:9.7. Using culmen as a metric (n=0.8 cm), scale comes to approx. 1:3.8-1:9.4. It's probably safe to assume this eagle scales on average in the 1:6-1:9 range.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: I don't usually like to quantify 'best' and 'worst' but this is, in my opinion, the best standard-sized bald eagle figure that is readily available. In recent years other nice figures have been produced by Naturalism (2022) and Toymany (2023).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North America
Habitat: Forests, fields, prairies, pastureland, canyons, mountains; usually near large bodies of water such as seacoasts, rivers, lakes, marshes, swamps. Nesting occurs in stands of old growth mature coniferous, hardwood, or mixed trees.
Diet: Primarily fish; also water birds and their eggs and nestlings, small mammals, carrion, human refuse
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: In the early 20th century, populations of H. leucocephalus declined rapidly. By the 1950s it is believed there were only around 400 nesting pairs in the contiguous United States and in 1967 it was declared an endangered species. Reasons for their decline included habitat destruction and illegal hunting, based on the belief that they were a threat to young livestock. The main reason for their decline however was the widespread use of DDT for insect control. Biomagnification of the toxin in the food web made its way into the eagles, resulting in the production of brittle, thin-shelled eggs that could not withstand the weight of a brooding adult. With the banning of DDT, populations rebounded and today the bird is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. The bald eagle is still a protected species under CITES Appendix II.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Carnotaurus sastrei Bonaparte, 1985

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Prehistoric World
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Figure length approx. 26.0 cm. Using the skull as a metric (n=3.3 cm), scale comes to approx. 1:18.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is at least Safari's sixth rendition of Carnotaurus, following the 1997, 2007 (repaint of 1997), and 2011 Carnegie models, as well as two TOOB figures, Carnivorous Dinos in 2003 and Dino Skulls in 2009. Carnotaurus has gained popularity in recent years, probably due to its appearance in the 2018 film Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom. Other decent renditions of this species in a standard scale since its newfound stardom include those by Mattel (2018, 2023), CollectA (2019), PNSO (2019), and Haolonggood (2023).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of present-day South America
Habitat: Dense, humid, seasonal forests
Diet: Apex predator on other animals, especially other smaller dinosaurs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Carnotaurus translates to meat bull, referring to the animal's carnivorous habits and its distinctive cephalic horns formed from frontal bones. It is believed these horns were used for fighting conspecific rivals. Carnotaurus also has vestigial forelimbs, smaller in proportion to the body than as seen with tyrannosaurids. The reduction in size is probably due to a reduction in nerve fibers responsible for stimulus transmission, simiar to as seen in extant birds such as emus and kiwis.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Triadobatrachus massinoti (Piveteau, 1936)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Prehistoric Amphibians
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length approx. 3.5 cm for a scale of 1:2.9
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Figures in this set appear to be based on illustrations in the Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals from 1988.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early Triassic of present-day Madagascar
Habitat: Swamps, ponds, and other still freshwater habitats
Diet: Small arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Morphologically similar to extant frogs, T. massinoti retained many primitive characteristics, such as at least 26 vertebrae (modern anurans have 4-9), and the terminal 10 or so formed a short tail. It probably spent time between land and water. It could not hop, but probably used its powerful hind legs for propulsion in the water.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Iphiclides podalirius (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): scarce swallowtail; sail swallowtail; pear-tree swallowtail

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Paleo-Creatures
Series: Little Treasures of Europe
Year of Production: 2016
Size/Scale: If spread like a specimen, wingspan would be approx. 6.5 cm, within scale 1:1 for a small specimen of either sex, or up to 1:1.2 for a large male or 1:1.4 for a large female.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was produced by forum member Jetoar's short-lived Little Treasures of Europe line of Paleo-Creatures.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eurasia
Habitat: Open woodlands, fields, grasslands, sloe thickets, orchards, parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on a wide variety of plants, including members of the genera Crataegus (hawthorn), Malus (apple), Prunus (apricot, cherry, wild cherry, plum, almond, sloe), Pyrus (pear), Sorbus (mountain-ash); adults take nectar from flowers.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern [Europe and Mediterranean, only]
Miscellaneous Notes: The common name 'scarce' swallowtail is because the butterfly is only an occasional stray to the United Kingdom, where that name is believed to have originated. Iphiclides podalirius is widespread and locally common throughout its range, which include most of Europe (except extreme northern areas), through Asia Minor, Transcaucasia, and Asia Minor to Pakistan, India, and western China.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hexacentrus unicolor Audinet-Serville, 1831

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Insects of Japan Series 2
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Base 8.2 cm across its longest points. Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 3.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Assembly is required and the bush cricket is removable from its base. Figures in the Insects of Japan series, at least their bodies, are believed to be cast from actual specimens and are therefore all in the 1:1 scale range.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East and Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Open woodlands, fields, meadows, grasslands, wetlands
Diet: Small insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: While most bush crickets (Tettigoniidae) are phytophagous, members of the genus Hexacentrus, including H. unicolor, tend to be predaceous on other insects!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Tessaratoma sp.
Common name(s): giant shield bug

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Wild Republic - Insects Polyvinyl Bag
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 9.0 cm. Scale indeterminate.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: I have tried without success to identify this stink bug. With recent input from forum member Isidro (Pardofelis), who suggested something in the family Tessaratomidae, I am changing my identification to Tessaratoma based on the shape of the pronotum and scutellum. The color still isn't right, but some figures in this set are known have incorrect paint jobs based on the sculpt.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Africa, Central to East and Southeast Asia, Australia
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical rainforest
Diet: Plants; primarily fruits, buds, flower sprigs
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A
Miscellaneous Notes: Members of the genus Tessaratoma are primarily frugivores and one species, T. papillosa is considered a significant pest of lychee throughout Eastern and Southeastern Asia and Oceania.

[/b]

[BlueKrono]

If this is the only pentatomid you have, wouldn't the species frequency necessarily be "Rare"?