Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Aglais urticae (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): small tortoiseshell

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Beam
Series: Imomushi
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 8.0 cm for a scale of 3.6:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen A. urticae in the Museum. While many of the figures in Beam's Imomushi collection are based on species in Club Earth's Caterpillars to Go collection (although sculpted in different poses), this one is not. As such, my identification here is tenuous and likely to be overturned on appeal. To me it looks like a nymphaline, but I can't go further; the red prolegs are perplexing and probably not correct for A. urticae. I am open to suggestions! Also, Beam may not be the originator of this set; I have seen them marketed by other companies, sometimes with leaf bases or sold as straps.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Widespread in Eurasia; rare vagrants to northeastern North America
Habitat: Forest margins, fields, meadows, roadsides, parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the genera Urtica (nettles) and Humulus (hops); adults feed on nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern (Europe and Mediterranean, only)
Miscellaneous Notes: Caterpillars of A. urticae have urticating hairs to deter would-be predators. They can also regurgitate a green, foul-smelling fluid as a deterrent.

[bmathison1972]

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

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Subarudo
Series: Forest Insects EX
Year of Production: 2006
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. mandibles) approx. 10.0 cm for a scale of 2:1-1.3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the tenth time we've seen P. inclinatus in the Museum, and the second within a week (gotta love randomness). Some assembly is required and the final product is articulated. It was one of four 'standard' figures in the set, each of which came with a piece of the 'chase' figure, a large Dynastes hercules. One must collect all four to assemble the D. hercules. Subarudo frequently collaborated with Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. and this sculpt may have also been used by the latter.

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: There are currently three valid subspecies of P. inclinatus. The type subspecies P. i. inclinatus occurs on the Asian mainland and throughout much of Japan. The subspecies P. i. hachijoensis was described from Hachijō-jima, an island in the Philippine Sea that is part of the Tokyo Metropolitan area. The subspecies P. i. motschulskyi is known from the Okinawan islands of Ishigaki and Iriomote. Populations on other Okinawan islands are believed to be invasive!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Tachypleus tridentatus (Leach, 1819)
Common name(s): Japanese horseshoe crab; Chinese horseshoe crab; tri-spine horseshoe crab

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Chocoegg Animatales Series 2
Year of Production: 2002
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 5.2 cm for a scale of 1:10.4-1:15.3 depending on the sex
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen T. tridentatus in the Museum. Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, some assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western Pacific, from Japan to Indonesia
Habitat: Benthic; in coastal marine and brackish waters at depths of 0-20 meters
Diet: Benthic invertebrates, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Tachypleus tridentatus is the largest extant horseshoe crab. There is a wide size range for individuals across locations, but without exhibiting clinal pattern. The largest individuals are found around the Kota Kinabulu region of Malaysia where the average carapace width of females and males is 38 and 28 cm, respectively. The smallest are from the Zhoushan region of China where the average carapace width of females and males is 24 and 22 cm, respectively.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lupulella mesomelas (von Schreber, 1775)
Common name(s): black-backed jackal; silver-backed jackal

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: CollectA
Series: Wildlife
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Head-and-body length (excl. tail) approx. 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:11.2-1:13.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There have been a handful of figures of this species made over the years but the only two that seem to be currently available are today's by CollectA and a miniature by Eikoh.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Two disjunct populations currently recognized as subspecies: L. m. mesomelas occurs in southern Africa; L. m. schmidti occurs in east-central Africa and the Horn of Africa. The two populations are separated by the Mozambique Gap, from the Zambesi River to Tanzania.
Habitat: Open woodlands, savanna, savanna mosaics, deserts, coasts, agricultural land
Diet: Non-discriminant opportunistic omnivore, including small vertebrates, invertebrates, fruits and berries, carrion
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Historically, L. mesomelas and L. adusta (side-striped jackal) were placed in the genus Canis. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA suggests that these two species form a monophyletic clade outside of Canis/Cuon/Lycaon and were placed in the genus Lupelella, which was originally described in 1906 to accommodate L. mesomelas based on morphologic features. This was supported by the IUCN SSC Canid Specialist Group in 2019 and recognized by the American Society of Mammologists in 2020.

[Isidro]

I had it in my collection database as 1:19... probably extracted from some forum review or ATB entry

[bmathison1972]

I had it in my collection database as 1:19... probably extracted from some forum review or ATB entry

My data comes from the Mammalian Species site (https://academic.oup.com/mspecies/article/doi/10.1644/0.715.1/2600807) with a range based on the minimum for a female (67.3-73.1 cm) and a maximum for a male (71.1-81.2 cm).

[Gwangi]

I put at 1/19 in my blog review but I was using shoulder height. Double checking it now and I get a scale of 1/12. Not sure what I did to get that result 2+ years ago but I'm going to change it to 1/12. Maybe it was just a typo.

[bmathison1972]

I put at 1/19 in my blog review but I was using shoulder height. Double checking it now and I get a scale of 1/12. Not sure what I did to get that result 2+ years ago but I'm going to change it to 1/12. Maybe it was just a typo.

the body is a bit hunched? That's why I didn't risk shoulder height, which I usually use for quadrupedal mammals.

[Gwangi]

I put at 1/19 in my blog review but I was using shoulder height. Double checking it now and I get a scale of 1/12. Not sure what I did to get that result 2+ years ago but I'm going to change it to 1/12. Maybe it was just a typo.

the body is a bit hunched? That's why I didn't risk shoulder height, which I usually use for quadrupedal mammals.

Well my measurement for shoulder height is still yielding a scale of 1/12, which is within the range you posted. I have no idea where I got the 1/19 scale. I did write that they reach a shoulder height of up to 19" so perhaps that number got stuck in my head.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Echidna xanthospilos (Bleeker, 1859)
Common name(s): yellow-spotted moray; Skeletor moray

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toys Spirits
Series: Moray Eel Mascot
Year of Production: 2024
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 10.0 cm for a scale of 1:7.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is very soft and squishy and can be easily manipulated to be placed in different positions or the sunken pipe that came with the figure (not shown). The same sculpt was used for four other moray eel species in the set. Toys Spirits previously released another set of moray eels in 2020 that also appear to have used the same sculpt.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-West Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs; at depths of 8-30 meters
Diet: Benthic crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Echidna xanthospilos is popular in the pet trade; its common name 'Skeletor moray' comes from the fictional character of the same name from the Masters of the Universe franchise.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Papilio bianor Cramer, 1777
Common name(s): Chinese peacock; common peacock

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Ikimon
Series: Science Techni Colour - Private Specimen of a Lepidopterist Acrylic Mascot 1
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Wingspan approx. 4.5 cm for a scale of 1.1:1-1:2.7 depending on seasonality; within scale 1:1 for a small specimen that emerged in the spring.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen P. bianor in the Museum. 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: South-central and East Asia, Japan
Habitat: Evergreen forests and woodlands, parks, gardens
Diet: Larvae feed on a variety of plants, including Citrus, Zanthoxylum (prickly ash), Phellodendron (cork-tree), Ruta (rue), Skimmia, Tetradium (bee bee trees), Clausena, Rhus (sumac); adults feed on nectar from a wide variety of flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Papilio bianor is part of a species complex that includes the Indian peacock, P. polyctor. The Indian peacock and its three subspecies are sometimes considered subspecies of P. bianor. The two species differ by very slight differences in wing coloration.

[bmathison1972]

Certainly the appareance of the figure is, for me, much more likely a Tessaratomidae than a Pentatomidae.

Sorry for the delay; I wanted to spend some time on this. Doing some deep dive image searches, the sculpt does appear to be based on Tessaratoma species. The color isn't quite right (but that's normal for this particular set), but the shape of the pronotum and scutellum favors Tessaratoma within Tessaratomidae. I have edited the post accordingly, thanks.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Zanclus cornutus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s): Moorish idol

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Yujin
Series: Saltwater Fish Pictorial Book 1
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Body length 1pprox. 3.8 cm for a scale of 1:5.5-1:6.1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: While not commonly made, Z. cornutus is often a component of sets featuring tropical reef fish. The fish is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, benthopelagic; at depths of 0-182 meters (usual range 5-182 meters)
Diet: Primarily sponges; also algae, coral polyps, tunicates, other benthic invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Zanclus cornutus is popular in the pet trade but unfortunately doesn't often survive long, due to the large space requirements needed to house the fish and that they can be picky eaters, prone to both not eating and overeating.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chilocorus rubidus Hope, 1831

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Stasto
Series: 3D File - Ladybug Collection
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 5.5 cm for a scale of 9.5:1-9.2:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Stasto 3D File figures have an ingenious design for distribution that minimizes packaging. There are eight figures in a collection. Two figures come connected to form their own gashapon capsule. The two figures are separated by gently twisting them. Once apart, the bottom of the figure extends, revealing the legs and antennae. The legs and antennae are extended and placed in the desired position and then the body is closed back up, revealing the final product.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central, East, and Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Forests, fruit orchards, parks, gardens
Diet: Adults and larvae are predaceous on sternorrhynchan hemipterans (scale insects, aphids, etc.)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Chilocorus rubidus is considered a beneficial insect as it feeds on scales and other plant parasitic insects that infest apple, pear, apricot and other economically important temperate fruits.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Melursus ursinus (Shaw, 1791)
Common name(s): sloth bear; Indian bear

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Schleich
Series: Wild Life Asia and Australia
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder approx. 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:12-1:18
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the only standard-sized figure of this species in the modern era, that I am aware of. Being a medium-sized bear, the Colorata figure may scale well with larger wildlife (I don't have it to measure).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indian Subcontinent
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forests and grasslands
Diet: Primarily insects, especially termites, ants, and bees; also leaves, honey, flowers, fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Melursus ursinus is considered one of the most aggressive bear species and attacks on humans are relatively frequent. Only the Himalayan black bear (Ursus t. thibetanus) has as many or more known attacks on humans. This probably has as much to do with their distribution as their natural behavior, as sloth bears and Asiatic black bears live in some of the most densely-populated regions of the world, whereas polar bears and brown bears live in the more sparsely-populated boreal regions.

[bmathison1972]

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

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Beetle Battle 1
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. horn) approx. 4.5; within scale 1:1 for a smaller specimen or up to 1:1.8 for a large major male.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the sixteenth time we have seen A. dichotoma in the Museum. There are two Beetle Battle sets by Epoch, both released in 2005. The sets feature pairs of scarabaeoid beetles that can be displayed as if 'locked in battle'. Each beetle comes with a base that loosely interlocks with the base of the beetle it's paired with. Today's A. dichotoma is paired with Lucanus maculifemoratus (see inset). The beetles require assembly and are removable from their bases.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia (China, Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, 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: Like many other large dynastines, A. dichotoma is sexually dimorphic and only males have cephalic and pronotal horns. Males use their horns for fighting rival males over females and feeding and breeding sites.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ameerega bilinguis (Jungfer, 1989)
Common name(s): Ecuador poison frog

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Tropical Frogs
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Snout-to-vent length approx. 4.3 cm for a scale of 2.6:1-1.9:1 depending on the sex
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Wing Mau produced figures for Play Visions and Club Earth in the 1990s. This sculpt was probably also used for something in Club Earth's Frogs to Go Collection, possibly the three-striped poison frog, based on the texture and the position of the legs (although I don't have the latter to compare).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern South America (Rio Napo and Rio Aguarico systems of Ecuador and adjacent Colombia and Peru)
Habitat: Tropical rainforest, seasonally flooded land, banana plantations; usually among leaf litter
Diet: Small insects, primarily ants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other dendrobatid frogs, A. bilinguis is poisonous, but mildly so. It forms a Batesian mimicry complex with the more-toxic Allobates zaparo (sanguine poison frog) in an interesting example of 'backwards mimicry'. Normally, the less toxic species mimics the more toxic species, but A. zaparo, a variable species, tends to look like its less-poisonous neighbor throughout its range. Where the ranges of A. bilinguis and A. zaparo overlap, the latter resembles the former, but will resemble other less-poisonous species in other areas.

[bmathison1972]

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

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Beetle Battle 1
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Body length (incl. horns) approx. 7.0 cm, for a scale of 1:2 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our seventh look at D. neptunus in the Museum. There are two Beetle Battle sets by Epoch, both released in 2005. The sets feature pairs of scarabaeoid beetles that can be displayed as if 'locked in battle'. Each beetle comes with a base that loosely interlocks with the base of the beetle it's paired with. Today's D. neptunus is paired with D. hercules (see inset). The beetles require assembly and are removable from their bases.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela)
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood within the tree holes 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 other large dynastines, D. neptunus exhibits marked sexual dimorphism. Only males possess the large cephalic and pronotal horns, which are used for fighting rival males and securing feeding and breeding sites.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Mikadotrochus beyrichii (Hilgendorf, 1877)
Common name(s): Beyrich's slit shell

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Living Fossils
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Total height on base approx. 6.5 cm. Shell height approx. 4.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.3-1:2.5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The snail is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Pacific, from central Japan (Honshu) to the East China Sea
Habitat: Benthic; usually in rocky areas between 30-300 meters (usual depth 100-300 meters)
Diet: Benthic invertebrates, especially sponges and cnidarians
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Mikadotrochus beyrichii has a fascinating history of discovery. The species was originally described as Pleurotomaria beyrichii. The author was a German zoologist who found the type specimen in a souvenir shop in Enoshima, Japan! Hilgendorf named the sea snail after a German paleontologist, Heinrich Ernst Beyrich. However, the species was not entirely unknown. Illustrations of the species (without formal description) occur in Japanese books such as Kigai-zufu (1775) and Mokuhachi-fu (1843)!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hynobius boulengeri (Thompson, 1912)
Common name(s): Odaigahara salamander

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Chocoegg Animatales Series 4
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Figure length approx. 7.5 cm. Snout-to-vent length approx. 4.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.8-1:2.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, assembly is required. Since this figure was produced, H. boulengeri has been divided into additional species (see below). However, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, I see no reason to question Kaiyodo's original designation.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Honshu)
Habitat: Streams and freshwater springs in deciduous, coniferous, or mixed montane forests
Diet: Insects, arachnids, earthworms
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Hynobius boulengeri is part of a complicated species complex. In the early 2000s, H. boulengeri was considered to have had a broad distribution in Japan on Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. In 2014 the species was divided into three species. Hynobius boulengeri sensu stricto is now endemic to the Kii Peninsula of Honshu, while the population on Shikoku is now known as H. hirosei and the population in the Kyushu Central Mountains is now H. stejnegeri. Additional species have been described since.