Mathison Museum of Natural History

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ogyris genoveva Hewitson, 1853 (genoveva azure; southern purple azure)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Toy Major
Series: Butterflies
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Wingspan 7.0 cm for a scale of 1.3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen O. genoveva in the Museum. The Toy Major butterflies are somewhat of an enigma. There are 12 sculpts, labeled A-L on the underside as well as the copyright year of 1996. Each sculpt has been painted multiple times, resulting in anywhere from 24-36 figures (maybe more?). Also, the different repaints may have been released over multiple years while retaining the 1996 mark. They were sold in sets of various numbers. They are not marketed at the species level, but most are painted to look like recognizable species. Several species produced by Toy Major have been produced by other companies of the same era (Club Earth, early Safari Ltd., etc.), as these companies tend to copy one another; today's figure was painted after the Club Earth figure that was specifically marketed as O. genoveva.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeastern Australia
Habitat: Dry Eucalyptus woodlands
Diet: Larvae feed on mistletoes in the family Loranthaceae; adults are attracted to flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Ogyris genoveva has a symbiotic relationship with ants in the genus Camponotus. The larvae of O. genoveva feed at night. When not feeding, the larvae reside in the nests of the ants. The ants are believed to offer protection to the young larvae. The ants will shepherd the caterpillars to and from their mistletoe food source, protecting them from predators and parasitoids.

[Lanthanotus]

Species: †Acanthostega gunnari Jarvik, 1952

[...]

Lovely presentation of a gorgeous figure. Glad I have it in my collection too

[bmathison1972]

Thanks Lanthanotus; I was pretty happy with the way that one turned out

Next up:

Species: Canama hinnulea (Thorell, 1881) (young stag jumper)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Series 5
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) 3.5 cm for a scale of approximately 5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was not marketed at the species level; the identification is mine based on the color, elongated chelicerae, and its presence in Australia, as the original Yowies overwhelmingly represented Australian species. Being one of the original Australian Yowies, the figure is somewhat stylized and assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Coastal north Queensland, Australia
Habitat: Rainforests; arboreal
Diet: Insects and arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Canama hinnulea primarily lives among foliage of Eucalytptus trees. Sexual dimorphism is not as exaggerated in C. hinnulea as it is in many other salticids.

[bmathison1972]

Back after two days off!

Species: Dorcus hopei binodulosus Waterhouse, 1874

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 7
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Length 4.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: Dorcus hopei binodulosus is one of the most commonly made species of beetle by Japanese manufacturers; I am surprised it took this long to see it in the Museum (at the time of this writing, I have 25 specimens of it). These three figures represent different stages of development for the pupa of D. h. binodulosus; they were the secret/chase figures in their set. Being original Choco Q Animatales figures, some assembly is required. Kaiyodo also made a larva of this species, but to my knowledge they have not yet made an adult.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan, Korean Peninsula
Habitat: Broadleaf forests
Diet: Larvae breed in rotting wood; adults feed on tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Compared many scarabaeoid beetles, D. h. binodulosus has a long lifespan. Larvae live in their host substrate for about two years and adults live about three years, hibernating during the winter months. Hyperactive antifreeze proteins allow the beetle to survive in freezing temperatures.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Tarsiger cyanurus (Pallas, 1773) (red-flanked bluetail)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Birdtales Series 1
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Bottlecap base 3.5 cm in diameter. Body length (male) 2.0 cm for a scale of 1:7
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Birdtales figures offer a variety of unique and rarely-made bird taxa. The figures are generally quite small, even by gashapon standards. Some assembly is required. In today's figure, the male's body is removable, but the feet are permanently affixed to the branch; the female sits loosely in the nest.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern Eurasia; wintering in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, rare vagrants to northwestern North America
Habitat: Mixed coniferous forest and taiga forest with dense undergrowth, parks, gardens
Diet: Insects, berries
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many birds, T. cyanurus is sexually dimorphic. Adults of both sexes have blue on the upper part of the tail and orange-red flanks, but the dorsum of the adult male is also bright blue whereas in the adult female the upperparts are olive-brown. Pairs nest on or near the ground, and incubation of the eggs is done by the female.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cubaris murina Brandt, 1833 (little sea pillbug)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Dango Mushi 03 and 04
Year of Production: 2019
Size/Scale: Body length 14.0 cm for a scale of 11.7:1 for a large specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There is no assembly, but obviously substantial articulation, to allow the figures to be unrolled and rolled back up again. In fact, these gashapon figures serve as their own 'capsules' in Japanese vending machines! The unrolled solid brown figure is the original concept from the third Dango Mushi collection in 2019. The rolled figure with a more detailed color pattern was released in the fourth Dango Mushi collection, also in 2019; this model seems to painted after C. iriomotensis, a Japanese endemic that is now considered conspecific with C. murina.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Pantropical
Habitat: Forests, fields, gardens, and disturbed areas, usually in soil, leaf litter, or under rocks and logs
Diet: Decaying vegetation
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like other terrestrial isopods, C. murina has become very popular in recent years in terraria. Cubaris murina is raised not only as pet, but also as a food source for reptiles and amphibians. It is a rather easy species to keep, as long as its substrate is deep enough and moist enough. Some exotic color variants of Cubaris species have become popular in the pet trade, earning clever names like 'Rubbery Ducky', 'Amber Ducky', 'Papaya', 'Orange', 'Jupiter', and 'Sabah'. Unfortunately, not all of these exotic varieties are collected under the most ethical conditions.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Allomyrina dichotoma (Linnaeus, 1771) (Japanese rhinoceros beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kitan Club
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Nature of Japan Vol. 2
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Body length (including horn) 6.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our sixth time seeing A. dichotoma in the Museum! In my opinion, this is one of the most accurate models of this species, so if you want a representative of A. dichotoma in your collection, this could be one worth hunting down.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, including China, Korea, Taiwan, and Japan
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed on organic detritus in soil; adults are attracted to sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Large scarabaeoid beetles spend most of their lives underground as larvae. The developmental cycle for A. dichotoma is roughly a year, from egg to adult. As adults, they live for only about four months and die after mating and oviposition.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Acutiramus sp.

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Takara Tomy A.R.T.S.
Series: The Great Old Sea 2
Year of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Total figure length 12.5 cm. Body length (excluding claws) 8.7 cm. Scale species dependent, but would calculate to 1:18-1:29 for some of the largest species in the genus.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Minimal assembly required. This figure was not marketed at the genus or species level; the identification is my own based on claw and telson morphology. The only figure I am aware of specifically marketed as Acutiramus is a model of A. macrophthalmus by Colorata. Interestingly, the two figures of 'Pterygotus' by Kaiyodo also appear to represent Acutiramus.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Late Silurian to Early Devonian of present-day North America, Europe, and Australia
Habitat: Marine, benthic; probably in shallow waters offshore
Diet: Soft-bodied animals, including marine invertebrates and possibly fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: For years, Acutiramus was classified as a subgenus of Pterygotus. Separation of the genera can be done as follows: Acutiramus has a straight moveable finger on the chelae (claws) with the terminal tooth at an acute angle relative to the rest of the claw and a paddle-shaped telson (terminal abdominal segment) with a serrated margin and a row of knobs running down its center; Pterygotus has the moveable finger of the chelae curved inwards and a paddle-shaped telson with a smooth margin and dorsal keel running down its center.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Triops longicaudatus (LeConte, 1846) (American tadpole shrimp)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Epoch
Series: Living Fossils
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Body length (including cercopods) 5.3 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Assembly is not required and the figure is removable from its base.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Western and central North America south throughout South America; introduced to Hawaii, Japan, Pacific Islands
Habitat: Alkaline freshwater ephemeral pools
Diet: Algae, freshwater invertebrates, tadpoles, small fry, organic debris; also cannibalistic
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes:Triops longicaudatus lives and breeds in ephemeral pools, and the drying of the water source is essential for their development, as eggs must dry out completely before being submerged in water again to hatch. Egg hatching is often tied with seasonal rains. Eggs hatch shortly after being submerged in water and the first stage larvae (metanauplius) start feeding on other aquatic invertebrates. The time from egg hatching to adult is roughly eight days. After reaching maturity, females lay eggs (usually parthenogenetically). As the water dries up, the adults die, although they can live for nearly 3 months if the water doesn't dry up. After the water does dry up, the eggs remain in the soil in a state of diapause; eggs can remain viable for up to 20 years without being exposed to water.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Hexarthrius forsteri (Hope, 1840)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Sega
Series: Mushi King, standard series, small
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 4.8 cm for a scale of 1:1.7 for a maximum-sized specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: The Sega 'small standard series' were 10 sets of 10 figures each, for a total of 100 figures representing roughly 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 here.


About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and Southeast Asia
Habitat: Forests
Diet: Larvae breed in white rotting wood; adults are attracted to tree sap
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: There are three subspecies of H. forsteri. The type subspecies, H. f. forsteri is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. Hexarthrius f. nyishi also occurs in northeast India. Hexarthrius f. kiyotamii is known from Myanmar. I had difficulty finding information on the biology of this species; some of the information above is inferred from other members in the genus.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Ailuropoda melanoleuca David, 1869 (giant panda)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Figure length 10.0 cm. Height at shoulder 5.2 cm for a scale of 1:11.5-1:17.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: There are no shortage of panda figures to choose from, but in my opinion this is the best or one of the very best among 'standard-sized' figures. The larger counterpart to this figure in the Wildlife Wonders (now Wild Wildlife) line is also very well done; I can't find the WW figure on Safari's site so it might be retired. For smaller figures, the Japanese companies have released some nice figures as well.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central China, primarily Sichuan
Habitat: Montane forests
Diet: Bamboo
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Despite being a herbivorous animal, A. melanoleuca still has the alimentary canal like that of a typical carnivore and lacks genes and enzymes needed for cellulose digestion. It is able to digest cellulose with the aid of bacteria acquired from the mother's feces. The gut flora of nursing pandas consists heavily of bacteria such as Enterobacter, Escherichia, and Lactobacillus, bacteria that are common among carnivores and necessary for digesting the mother's milk. As the young pandas shift to a plant-based diet, their gut flora also changes. At about two years of age, the predominate bacterial populations in the gut of the panda include organisms such as Clostridium and Turicibacter, which possess enzymes necessary for cellulose metabolism.

[JimoAi]

Species: Ailuropoda melanoleuca David, 1869 (giant panda)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2014
Size/Scale: Figure length 10.0 cm. Height at shoulder 5.2 cm for a scale of 1:11.5-1:17.3
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: There are no shortage of panda figures to choose from, but in my opinion this is the best or one of the very best among 'standard-sized' figures. The larger counterpart to this figure in the Wildlife Wonders (now Wild Wildlife) line is also very well done; I can't find the WW figure on Safari's site so it might be retired. For smaller figures, the Japanese companies have released some nice figures as well.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central China, primarily Sichuan
Habitat: Montane forests
Diet: Bamboo
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Vulnerable
Miscellaneous Notes: Despite being a herbivorous animal, A. melanoleuca still has the alimentary canal like that of a typical carnivore and lacks genes and enzymes needed for cellulose digestion. It is able to digest cellulose with the aid of bacteria acquired from the mother's feces. The gut flora of nursing pandas consists heavily of bacteria such as Enterobacter, Escherichia, and Lactobacillus, bacteria that are common among carnivores and necessary for digesting the mother's milk. As the young pandas shift to a plant-based diet, their gut flora also changes. At about two years of age, the predominate bacterial populations in the gut of the panda include organisms such as Clostridium and Turicibacter, which possess enzymes necessary for cellulose metabolism.

The panda pair in my country's zoo finally mated and conceived a cub last month

[Beetle guy]

Back after two days off!

Species: Dorcus hopei binodulosus Waterhouse, 1874
About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Choco Q Animatales Series 7
Year of Production: 2003
Size/Scale: Length 4.0 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: Dorcus hopei binodulosus is one of the most commonly made species of beetle by Japanese manufacturers; I am surprised it took this long to see it in the Museum (at the time of this writing, I have 25 specimens of it). These three figures represent different stages of development for the pupa of D. h. binodulosus; they were the secret/chase figures in their set. Being original Choco Q Animatales figures, some assembly is required. Kaiyodo also made a larva of this species, but to my knowledge they have not yet made an adult.

One of the best Kaiyodo insect figurines! There even is a forth one for the completist ;-). I will clear this picture from the museum in a day. Just to show you.

[bmathison1972]

@Beetle guy - thanks for the reference; you may leave it in this thread if you want!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Eumeta variegata (Snellen, 1879) (paulownia bagworm)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Caterpillars Vol. 4
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Case 5.0 cm long. Larva 2.8 cm. Both within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was marketed as E. japonica, which was placed in synonymy with E. variegata in 2009. The figure as shown in the main image depicts the protective bag that the larvae of psychid moths carry around for protection; it is equipped with a lid that when removed reveals the actual larva (see inset).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Hardwood forests
Diet: Larvae feed on a wide variety of plants, and are considered pests of Citrus, Cameillia (tea), Mangifera (mango), Anacardium (cashew), Piper (pepper), and Cinnamomum (cinnamon); adults do not feed
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Feeding larvae of E. variegata carry around a protective case made of of dried leaves or small twigs from the host plant. The larvae pupate within the cases. Adult males have functional wings and upon ecdysis from the pupal chamber, fly to find a female; females are wingless (or have very rudimentary wings) and spend their entire lives within the protective case. After mating, gravid females lay eggs within their cases and die.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dardanus megistos Herbst, 1804 (hairy red hermit crab; white-spotted hermit crab)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Cadbury
Series: Yowies Series 4
Year of Production: 1999
Size/Scale: Figure 5.0 cm across its widest points (excluding antennae). Scale difficult to calculate, but the shield length comes to about 1.0 cm, which could make it 1:1 for a small specimen (this seems small though, so use this scale with caution; the figure is stylized and the way it assembles might alter features).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Cadbury Yowies, some assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Persian Gulf east to Japan, Australia, and Hawaii
Habitat: Coral reefs in littoral and sublittoral zones to depths of 50 meters
Diet: Marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Dardanus megistos is popular in aquaria, and can live up to 30 years in captivity. They are aggressive towards other specimens of the same species, and so they should be kept apart in captivity.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Lycaon pictus (Temminck, 1820) (African wild dog; Cape hunting dog; painted wolf)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Wild Safari Wildlife
Year of Production: 2004
Size/Scale: Height at shoulder 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:12-1:15
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: Safari Ltd. also released a pup alongside this adult. Among major western companies, the only other standard-sized figure is the one by Mojö Fun, which is slightly smaller and painted after a different geographic variant (see below).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Fragmented populations in southern and eastern sub-Saharan Africa
Habitat: Grasslands, savanna, open woodlands
Diet: Wild ungulates, occasionally livestock
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Some authorities divide L pictus into upwards of five subspecies based on color of the coat and genetic differences. However, there are no geographic boundaries separating some of these groupings, and recent genetic studies show a mix of haplotypes within intermediate areas. This suggests the color differences represent clinal variation rather than distinct subspecies. If one chooses to recognize subspecies, this Safari figure represents the West African wild dog, L. p. manguensis, which occurs in Benin, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dendrocopus noguchii (Seebohm, 1887) (Okinawa woodpecker)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Yanbaru Creatures
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Body length about 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure originally came with a base, but it was given to me free without the base. I have often contemplated buying a complete figure to have the base, but for now the animal alone serves my needs.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Japan (Yanbaru Forest, Okinawa)
Habitat: Broadleaf evergreen forest
Diet: Arthropods, berries, seeds, nuts
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Critically Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Dendrocopos noguchii has previously been placed in the monotypic genus Sapheopipo. Like many species endemic to small restricted areas, D. noguchii faces several threats. Two of the most important are construction on Okinawa in close proximity to the Yanbaru forest and aircraft flying over the island.

[bmathison1972]

Species: †Hollardops sp.

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Fossils Collection
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Body length 7.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was only sold generically as a trilobite, and the identification is my own.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Middle Devonian (Eifelian) of present-day Morocco
Habitat: Marine, benthic
Diet: Presumably predaceous on marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Like many other members of the Phacopina, Hollardops had large, prominent eyes characterized by very large, separated lenses each with its own cornea (schizochroal eyes). Its eyes also allow for a more panoramic view of the animal's surroundings, most-likely as a defensive feature to look out for would-be predators.

[bmathison1972]

back after a couple days off!

Species: Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758) (blue swimmer crab; flower crab; blue crab)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Japanese Crabs Collection
Year of Production: 2013
Size/Scale: Carapace width 3.5 cm for a scale of about 1:4-1:5.5 for a mature specimen
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: No assembly is required, but there is articulation at the merus-carpus juncture. Kaiyodo also produced this figure for their Aquatales line, but the sculpts are different. Cadbury made this species for both the Australian and UK releases of their Yowies.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Indo-Pacific
Habitat: Intertidal zone, to 65 meters
Diet: Marine invertebrates, fish, algae
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Portunus pelagicus is a common commercial species throughout the Indo-Pacific region.