Mathison Museum of Natural History

[Isidro]

Is this the smallest realistic giant isopod, or there are smaller accurate ones?

[bmathison1972]

Is this the smallest realistic giant isopod, or there are smaller accurate ones?

Let me check when I get home. There may be a Nihon Auto Toy figure that's a tiny bit smaller. There is another Kaiyodo one that is the same size as this as well.

[bmathison1972]

@Isidro - the two Kaiyodo figures (including this one) and the Nihon figure are all about the same size; I have nothing smaller.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cottus kazika Jordan et Starks, 1904 (fourspine sculpin)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Chocoegg Animatales Series 4
Year of Release: 2000
Size/Scale: Body length 6.5 cm for a scale of 1:4.6
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, some assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan
Habitat: Freshwater rivers, migrating to the ocean to spawn
Diet: Other fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Cottus kazika is catadromous, meaning adults live primarily in freshwater habitats (in this case, the middle reaches of rivers) but return to the sea to spawn. Juveniles migrate from the spawning grounds and mature into adults in the middle reaches of the rivers.

[Isidro]

Thanks Blaine, the isopods of this size are enough small for my collection

[bmathison1972]

Species: Chimaera phantasma Jordan et Snyder, 1900 (silver chimaera)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Deep Sea Fish
Year of Release: 2015 (2009)
Size/Scale: Body length 12.0 cm for a scale of 1:5-1:8.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: My figure is the 2015 release of a figure that originally came out in 2009. The main differences between the two releases is that the original appears to have had translucent fins and the base is a slightly different color. The figure is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western Pacific
Habitat: Continental shelves, upper slopes
Diet: Small benthic animals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Male chimaeras have cephalic claspers (tenacula) in addition to the normal claspers found in front of the pelvic fins; this figure has both sculpted.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Latrodectus tredecimguttatus (Rossi, 1790) (malmignatte; European black widow)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Funrise Toys
Series: World of Nature Insect Collection
Year of Release: 1989
Size/Scale: Legspan 6.5 cm. Body length 2.3 cm for a scale of 3.3:1-1.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Funrise Toys only marketed this figure as a 'black widow'; the species identification is mine, based on the red spots on the dorsal side of the abdomen (although to be accurate there should be 13 red maculae).

About the Animal
Geographic distribution: Mediterranean Europe, North Africa, Western and Central Asia
Habitat: Low vegetation in steppes, grasslands, dunes, shingle beaches
Diet: Insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other members of the genus Latrodectus, females of L. tredecimguttatus are venomous to humans. Common symptoms of a bite include severe and long-lasting pain, sleep deprivation, sweating, nausea, and vomiting; in severe cases neuromuscular effects. Death is rare but can occur.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dyscophus guineti (Grandidier, 1875) (false tomato frog)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Tropical Rain Forest Frogs
Year of Release: 2019 (2005)
Size/Scale: Body length 6.0 cm for a scale of 1:1.5 for a female (which, based on color this figure appears to be; the figure would be 1:1 scale for a male, but they are yellow rather than red in color dorsally)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: My figure is the 2019 re-release of a figure originally produced in 2005.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Madagascar
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical lowland forests, swamps, freshwater marshes
Diet: Insects and other terrestrial invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: When a potential predator attempts to eat D. guineti, the frog secretes a thick, gummy substance that numbs the would-be predator's mouth and eyes. People handling tomato frogs are also exposed to this secretion; it is not deadly for a human, but can cause an allergic reaction.

[Isidro]

I was unaware of the sexual dichromism of tomato frogs! Always good to learn from you

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hexarthrius rhinoceros (Olivier, 1789)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: DeAgostini
Series: World Insect Data Book
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 9.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The DeAgostini figures 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: Indonesia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae presumably feed in rotting hardwoods; adults are attracted to tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had a hard time researching information on this species; the biological notes above are based on other members of the genus Hexarthrius. There are three subspecies of H. rhinoceros: H. r. rhinoceros occurs on Java while H. r. chaudoiri and H. r. hansi occur on Sumatra.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dynastes grantii Horn, 1870 (western Hercules beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: 'Beetles on Wood'
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including horns) 2.6 cm for a scale of 1:2-1:3.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we have seen this species in the Museum. 'Beetles on Wood' is my designation for a set of very small Sega figures that depict the usual scarabaeoid beetles on logs. I don't know much about this set, including the official name of the set, when they came out, or how many figures are in it (I have 15 out of 16 known figures; the one I didn't retain is an anime version of Allomyrina dichotoma, which I believe serves as Sega's mascot).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southwestern United States, northern Mexico
Habitat: Subtropical woodlands, particularly in the pine-oak transition zones, and often in riparian areas.
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood of several trees; adults feed on tree sap, primarily of Fraxinus velutina (Arizona ash).
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The life cycle of D. grantii lasts about two years, from oviposition to pupal eclosion. Adults emerge in the late summer and are active for about 2-4 months.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ophisternon candidum (Mees, 1962) (blind cave eel)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Cave Dwellers TOOB
Year of Release: 2014
Size/Scale: Figure length 8.5 cm. Measured along midline, body length 11.0 cm for a scale of 1:3-1:3.6
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed simply as an eel; the species designation is my own, with assistance from forum members brontodocus and sbell. The length-to-width ratio is not quite right for O. candidum, as it should be more elongate and slender, but that could just be to counter the fragility of a long, thin toy. This set was re-released (date unknown) with different paint jobs; in the second release the eel appears to be pale brown or possibly translucent brown.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Cape Range Peninsula and Barrow Island, Western Australia
Habitat: Subterranean aquifers at depths of 0-3 meters
Diet: Freshwater crustaceans and insects, scavenger
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other animals restricted to subterranean caves and waters, O. candidum has lost its eyes and pigment. With maximum specimens reaching a length of 40 cm, O. candidum is the largest troglomorphic fish.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Meganeura monyi (Brongniart, 1884)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Dinotales Series 4
Year of Release: 2003
Size/Scale: Wingspan 8.5 cm for a scale of 1:7.6-1:8.2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Dinotales figures, assembly is required. As you can tell from a couple missing appendages on mine, this figure is rather fragile.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Carboniferous (Kasimovian-Gzhelian) of present-day Western Europe
Habitat: Riparian
Diet: Flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: It is often believed that M. monyi was able to reach such a large size due to increased oxygen in the environment during the late Carboniferous (up to 35% as compared to roughly 21% today). Insects have a respiratory system whereby oxygen is taken directly from the environment to the internal tissues and organs. Increased oxygen in the environment could have supplied a passive boost with minimal effort on behalf of the animal, allowing for larger growth. This theory is still frequently debated, however.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Parantica sita (Kollar, 1844) (chestnut tiger, larva)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Shine-G
Series: Lavae Moei
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Figure width 4.5 cm. Measured along midline, body length 6.0 cm for a scale of 1.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: The Larvae Moei collection consists of stylized larvae of lepidopterans (and one hymenopteran). They are also 'strap' figures, but the cord unscrews easily leaving a small, non-obtrusive hole. To my knowledge, this was the first figure of P. sita produced. Kaiyodo would later make a more realistic larva for their Capsule Q Museum line (2013) and Ikimon would make an acrylic mascot for their Science Techni Colour line (2017), the latter of which is merely a photograph of the butterfly embedded in acrylic (to my knowlegde, there are no PVC figures of an adult P. sita available yet).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Himalayan Mountains in Central Asia; Southeast Asia to Malaysia; Japan
Habitat: Forests, rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the family Apocynaceae (dogbanes, milkweeds); adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other danaine butterflies, the distasteful P. sita is mimicked by other butterfly species. Parantica sita is mimicked by the Aldania mimic (Aldania imitans), Cyclosia notabilis, the Circe (Hestina nama), and the tawny mime (Papilio agestor).

[bmathison1972]

EDIT February 20, 2022: I have come to realize I had the identification of this figure wrong for year. It has been corrected to Ornithoptera euphorion.


Species: Ornithoptera euphorion (Gray, 1852) (Cairns birdwing)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Insect Lore
Series: Big Bunch-O Butterflies
Year of Release: 2013
Size/Scale: wingspan 6.0 cm for a scale approximately 1:2
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: For the longest time on the forums, I had butterflies of this color pattern identified as something in the genus Euphaedra, assuming it was painted after the underside of a forester. However, after re-examining the Club Earth figure of O. euphorion, I realized this is probably just a highly stylized variation of that species. The CE figure has some subtle purple-pink on its forewings, but not nearly as exaggerated as on today's figure.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Coastal north Queensland, Australia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the genera Aristolochia and Pararistolochia; adults are attracted to flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Ornithoptera euphorion is sexually dimorphic. Males are smaller (wingspans to 12.5 cm) and have green on the dorsal and ventral sides of the wings. The females are larger (wingspans to 15 cm) and lack the green.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dynastes neptunus (Quensel, 1817) (Neptune beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Subarudo
Series: Forest Insects EX
Year of Release: 2006
Size/Scale: Body length (including horns) 12.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our third look at this species in the Museum. This sculpt was originally used by Takara Tomy A.R.T.S. in 2004 (or earlier), and has been used by them since, as the two companies are linked and frequently shared sculpts. Assembly is required and the final product is articulated. This set had four 'standard' figures, each of which came with a piece of the 'chase' figure, a large D. hercules. One must collect all four to fully assemble the D. hercules figure.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed in rotting wood within treeholes of living trees, including Alchornea, Ocotea, and Urera; adults attracted to overripe fruit and sap flows.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Dynastes neptunus is one of the longest beetle species, with major males reaching a lengh of 16.0 cm (including horns). The related D. hercules is longer, however, at 18.8 cm.




So, while not time for an official stats update, today was the 100th insect in these posts. How did the insects break down? Let's have a look:
Coleoptera (beetles): 57
Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths): 24
Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps): 5
Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets): 4
Hemiptera (true bugs & kin): 3
Mantodea (mantids): 2
Blattodea (termites, roaches): 2
Diptera (flies): 1
Meganisoptera (griffinflies): 1
Neuroptera (lacewings & kin): 1

I have to admit, I am surprised not seeing a member of Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies) in the first 100, especially when 2/4 termites I own have come up :-D

[bmathison1972]

Species: Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758) (monarch)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: US Toy
Series: Butterfly Collection
Year of Release: unknown
Size/Scale: Wingspan 8.5 cm for a scale of 1:1.2 (slightly under 1:1 for a small specimen)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we have seen D. plexippus in the Museum. Not surprising, considering it is the most commonly-made butterfly at the species level. This figure was part of a set I bought at a dollar store years ago, but I have seen them marketed by US Toy.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, the Azores, Canary Islands, North Africa, Australia, the Philippines, and South Pacific islands; rare stray to the United Kingdom
Habitat: Fields, forests, gardens, disturbed areas
Diet: Larvae feed on milkweeds in the family Apocynaceae, most commonly members of the genus Asclepias; adults take nectar from a variety of flowers
NatureServe Status (at time of posting): Apparently Secure
Miscellaneous Notes: In North America, D. plexippus forms a mimicry ring with the viceroy (Limenitis archippus). Because both species are believed to be distasteful to would-be predators, this is considered an example of Müllerian mimicry.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Iconaster longimanus (Mobius, 1859) (icon star)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Starfish
Year of Release: 1996
Size/Scale: Armspan 5.7 cm for a scale of 1:5.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare [unique as a sculpt, see below]
Miscellaneous Notes: The Play Visions starfish were also released by an unknown (?) company that are just as good as the originals, at least in terms of the quality of the plastic and the paint jobs. The only difference is this other release doesn't have the common English name stamped on the underside, as Play Visions does with their figures. They are marked with 'S.H.' however, which could refer to the Hong Kong-based company, Shing Hing Toys. It is likely this second company worked with whoever originally produced the PV figures (assuming they didn't produce them themselves). Today's figure is one of those specifically marketed by Play Visions, but a couple that are likely to come up in the future are from this alternate set/company.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Coral reefs, usually on lower slopes at depths of 5-230 meters
Diet: Epilithic algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: There are multiple phenotypes of I. longimanus. The nominate form around Singapore and the Philippines has irregular brown checkering of the arms. The Play Visions figure shown here, on the other hand, appears to be painted after the Australian phenotype. It is currently unknown whether these phenotypic differences represent different species, or clinal variation across its range.

[Isidro]

My favourite starfish species. I didn't knew that there are starfishes specialized in a seaweed diet, I only knew detritivore species and the archetypical predatory ones.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Aldabrachelys gigantea (Schweigger, 1812) (Aldabra giant tortoise)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Endangered Species Reptile Box
Year of Release: 2004
Size/Scale: Figure length 7.3 cm. Carapace length 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:16-1:25
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge there are only two figures specifically marketed as A. gigantea, this figure and one in the original Primary Color Chelonia Book by Yujin. Interestingly however, the 2014 Galapagos tortoise by Papo appears to have been sculpted based on an Aldabra tortoise, as it possesses a nuchal scute, which is frequently present in Aldabra tortoises but never in Galapagos tortoises.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Various islands in the Seychelles, with the largest population on the Aldabra Atoll. Smaller populations live on Cerf, Moyenne, Silhouette, Cousin, Cousine, Bird, Denis, Amiarantes; also Changu Island, Tanzania.
Habitat: Scrub forests, mangrove swamps, coastal dunes and beaches, platins
Diet: Plants
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other tortoises, A. gigantea has a very long lifespan. They are often difficult to measure because they tend to outlive their human observers! "Jonathan" is an Aldabra giant tortoise that lives on Saint Helena in the Seychelles; he is believed to be 189 years old and possibly the oldest living tortoise. Jonathan lives on the grounds of the local governor, and is cared for by the government, possibly artificially extending his already naturally long life.