Mathison Museum of Natural History

[Gwangi]

Time to start thinking about reviews for Shark Week. 

[bmathison1972]

Time to start thinking about reviews for Shark Week. 

I was thinking of asking when it's coming up. I would like to participate again!!!

Next up:

Species: Prosopocoilus giraffa (Olivier, 1789) (giraffe stag beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Revogeo
Years of Production: 2021
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) 20.5 cm for a scale of 1.6:1 for a large major male
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen P. giraffa in the Museum. Like others in the Revogeo line, this figure is large, expensive, and heavily articulated. It is for serious collectors and not a toy to be played with. There are two options to display this figure, as shown here and with the wings spread as if in flight. For space considerations, I don't display mine in flight but you can see it in my blog review of the figure. There are 25 points of articulation, but no assembly is required unless displayed in flight.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeast Asia, from southern India to Indonesia
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Larvae feed on rotting hardwoods; adults are attracted to sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: At 12.3 cm (including mandibles), P. giraffa is the longest stag beetle in the world.

[Gwangi]

Shark Week is between July 24-31.

[bmathison1972]

Shark Week is between July 24-31.

I will participate again this year.  Next up:

Species: Ctenocephalides sp. (cat and dog fleas)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Smithsonian Insects
Year of Production: 1998
Size/Scale: Body length 11.5 cm for a scale of 38:1-28:1 for a member of the genus
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Safari only marketed this figure as a flea. The genus-level ID is my own based on the presence of genal and pronotal combs and the familiarity of cat and dog fleas.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Worldwide
Habitat: Larvae live in the environment, usually in close proximity to the host; adults are obligate ectoparasites on the skin of the host
Diet: Larvae feed on organic material, including feces of adult fleas and host animal; adults take blood from mammal hosts
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A
Miscellaneous Notes: Ctenocephalides species have medical importance. They can vector Rickettsia felis when their feces are rubbed into bites, cuts, and wounds, and they can serve as intermediate hosts for tapeworms such as Dipylidium caninum, Hymenolepis diminuta, and H. nana when accidentally ingested (such as when a child kisses their pet dog or cat).

[bmathison1972]

Species: Phycodurus eques (Günther, 1865) (leafy seadragon)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kitan Club
Series: Nature Techni Colour - Seahorse Collection
Year of Production: 2011
Size/Scale: Body length roughly 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:2.5-1:4.4
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There were four versions of this figure in the Seahorse Collection; there were two color forms and each was sold as both a magnet and strap figure (all figures in the set were sold as both magnets and straps). I cannot remember whether or not this set was re-released by Ikimon after they took over the Nature Techni Colour line.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southern coast of Australia
Habitat: Coral reefs, at depths of 4-30 meters
Diet: Marine crustaceans, young fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Phycodurus eques is a master at camouflage, moving very slowly through the seaweed it has morphologically evolved to mimic. It is an ambush predator on mysid shrimp, other small crustaceans, and planktonic and young fish.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Phalacrognathus muelleri MacLeay, 1885 (rainbow stag beetle)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: DeAgostini
Series: World Insect Data Book
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Male length (including mandibles) 5.5 cm. Female length 3.8 cm. Both sexes within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon to rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is our second look at P. muelleri in the Museum. The DeAgostini insects 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 (including today's). 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: Australia (northeastern Queensland), New Guinea
Habitat: Rainforests, sclerophyll forests
Diet: Larvae feed in decaying wood; adults eat decaying wood, sap, nectar, and overripe fruit
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like most other lucanids, P. muelleri is sexually dimorphic, and only males have enlarged mandibles that they use for fighting over females and securing feeding and breeding sites.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Phasianus colchicus Linnaeus, 1758 (common pheasant; ring-necked pheasant)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Papo
Series: Wild Animals
Year of Production: 2020
Size/Scale: Figure 7.0 long. Scale difficult to calculate but measured along spine, body length (including tail) approximately 8.0 cm for a scale of 1:7.5-1:11
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: To my knowledge, this is the only figure of this species readily available. The Wildlife and Hunting Collection figures by New Ray show up on eBay periodically, but they are not nearly as detailed as this one by Papo.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Central and Southeast Asia; naturalized in North America, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii
Habitat: Grasslands, hedges, marshes, open woodlands, agricultural land
Diet: Grain, seeds, shoots, berries, insects and other small invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Phasianus colchicus has been a popular game bird since antiquity, and today has been introduced over much of the world for hunting. Today it is established in North America (particularly the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions), continental Europe and Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and other scattered locations. Most introductions to South America were largely unsuccessful. I have documented the species along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, which runs along the Wasatch Front about a mile behind my apartment here in Utah!

[Gwangi]

I used to have ring-neck pheasants visit my bird feeder. That was a long time and 4 houses ago.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Latrodectus hasselti Thorell, 1870 (redback spider; Australian black widow)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Australia's Deadliest Nature Tube
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Legspan 8.5 cm. Body length 3.5 cm for a scale of 3.5:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen L. hasselti in the Museum. Like many spider figures, this one suffers from an incorrect number and arrangement of eyes, having only two eyes sculpted on the cephalothorax.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia; adventive in New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Highly varied, with a preference for tropical and temperate habitats, especially in urban and suburban areas; webs are usually built in dry, sheltered areas such as in logs, rock piles, shrubs, trash piles, garages, sheds, outhouses
Diet: Primarily insects; occasionally other small animals that may get caught in their webs, including small mammals, birds, and reptiles
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The bite of L. hasselti contains a mixture of cellular components, enzymes, and toxins, including alpha-latrotoxin which is a neurotoxin to vertebrates. Envenomation by L. hasselti (and other widows) is referred to as lactrodectism and is characterized by severe local pain, sweating, piloerection, and redness at the bite site; occasionally pain in the lower limbs, including a burning sensation on the soles of the feet. Within a few to up to 24 hours, some patients will experience systemic symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal or chest pain, agitation, headache, profuse sweating, hypertension, fever, and (in men) priapism. On rare occasions, envenomation may result in seizure, coma, pulmonary edema, respiratory failure, and death. In some instances, death occurred up to 30 days after the person was bitten!

[bmathison1972]

Species: Enhydra lutris (Linnaeus, 1758) (sea otter)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Safari Ltd.
Series: Monterey Bay Aquarium Collection
Year of Production: 1991
Size/Scale: Both figures have a body length (including tail) of approximately 7.3 cm for a scale of 1:16-1:20 for the male and 1:14-1:19 for the female (MBA figures are marketed at the 1:20 scale)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: When I started the non-arthropod part of my collection, I struggled finding a sea otter figure that was in the size range I wanted but didn't have an obvious 'flat back' bottom. I initially bought one of the Kaiyodo Animatales figures (which did have a flat back), but later replaced them with these MBA figures when I learned of their size. I had initially bought only the male, but completed the pair when I found his mate, as these do show up on eBay periodically.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Two coastal regions in the North Pacific: 1) Russia (Kuril Islands, Kamchatka Peninsula), through the Aleutian Islands and southern Alaska, to Canada (Vancouver Island); and 2) Central California, from Año Nuevo to Point Sur
Habitat: Coastal kelp forests, at depths of 0-45 meters
Diet: Marine invertebrates, fish
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Endangered
Miscellaneous Notes: Enhydra lutris is a keystone species in kelp forests; the otter's predation of sea urchins prevents the urchins from consuming too much kelp. When sea otter populations dropped due to the hunting for their fur, sea urchin populations in some areas exploded, resulting in significant loss of kelp (urchin barrens) and as such detrimentally changing the ecosystem of the kelp forest. As otter recovery efforts improved, remaining kelp forest was protected. Interestingly, otters tend to avoid urchins in the barrens, which are often starved after the removal of the kelp and algae and are not as nutritious to the otters. A decline in the number of otters is not the only thing that affects urchin populations, however. Around Monterey Bay, California there was a recent mass die-off of the sunflower sea star, Pycnopodia (another major predator of urchins), by sea star wasting syndrome. While the otters can help maintain an existing kelp forest, they cannot control the urchins on their own and can do little for restoring kelp growth to the barrens.

[callmejoe3]

Glad to see that you eventually got the mate. Very unfortunate that these were among the MBA figures to be retired, especially given the lack of replacements for this species right now.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Parnassius apollo (Linnaeus, 1758) (Apollo; mountain Apollo)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Paleo-Creatures
Series: Little Treasures of Europe
Year of Production: 2015
Size/Scale: Wingspan 6.4 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure was sculpted by forum member Jetoar for his Paleo-Creatures line. Two other species of Parnassius have been made by major commercial manufacturers, but to my knowledge this is the only figure of P. apollo.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Europe to Central Asia, usually at elevations from 400-2,300 meters
Habitat: Alpine meadows and pastures, vineyards; often in open areas with a rocky substrate. 
Diet: Larvae feed on plants in the family Crassulaceae, particularly Sedum (stonecrop) and Sempervivum (houseleek); adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Parnassius apollo overwinters as a developed larva within the egg. Larvae hatch in the spring (March or April, depending on climate and latitude) and pupate in May or June (rarely July). Adults have a relatively long flight time, and are often on the wing until early August or even into September at higher elevations.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Dromaius novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) (emu)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Southlands Replicas
Series: Australian Animals
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Height (exclusive of base) 9.5 cm for a scale of 1:15.8-1:20
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: The animal is not removable from its base. While this Southlands Replicas figure has already been retired, there are other recent good figures of this species by Mojö Fun (2013) and Papo (2021).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Australia
Habitat: Savanna forest, grasslands; less common in deserts and densely wooded areas
Diet: Fruits, seeds, insects; occasionally small animals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Dromaius novaehollandiae is polyandrous, but males are more likely to have multiple sexual partners than females. Males are more likely to be promiscuous before his mate lays eggs, as once the eggs are laid, he participates in the incubation of them. Sometimes, when males are incubating the eggs, the females will mate with other males; however, she runs the risk of losing her former mate which means those eggs will not be properly incubated. The average clutch size is 5-15 eggs. Incubation takes approximately 56 days. After hatching, the males will guard the chicks and teach them how to forage. Chicks are fully grown in about 5-7 months, but generally remain within their family group for another 6 months or so, at which time they split up to breed and start their own families.

[bmathison1972]

Anyone notice all the attention Australia is getting lately? 

Next up:

Species: Acanthophis antarcticus (Shaw & Nodder, 1802) (common death adder)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Australia's Deadliest Nature Tube
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Figure 8.3 cm across its greatest widths. Measured along midline, body length 20.0 cm for a scale of 1:3.5-1:5
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very rare
Miscellaneous Notes: There are two other figures of this species I am aware of, and those are both by Cadbury for the Australian and UK releases of their Yowies collection; all three figures (including today's) are variously stylized.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern and southern coastal Australia, Papua New Guinea
Habitat: Rainforest, woodlands, grasslands, heathland
Diet: Small mammals and birds
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: As its name suggests, A. antarcticus can delivery a potentially lethal bite. Its venom contains postsynaptic neurotoxin which can cause paralysis or death. It has also been documented that A. antarcticus can deliver the fastest strike of any of Australia's numerous venomous snakes.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Gasteracantha cancriformis (Linnaeus, 1758) (spiny orbweaver)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Spiders Bulk
Year of Production: 1997
Size/Scale: Body width 3.0 cm for a scale of 3:1-2.3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Gasteracantha canriformis is sexually dimorphic (see below) and this figure depicts a female.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Southeastern United States, Central and South America, Caribbean; adventive in Hawaii
Habitat: Woodland edges, citrus orchards, parks and gardens
Diet: Flying insects
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Gasteracantha cancriformis exhibits marked sexual dimorphism. Females (as shown here) are larger, measuring 5-9 mm long by 10-13 mm wide, and have six prominent spines adorning the abdomen. Males are smaller (2-3 mm long), are longer than wide, and their abdominal adornments are reduced to 4-5 stubby knobs.

[Gwangi]

I really like that one, I have spiny orbweavers all over the place in my yard.

[bmathison1972]

I really like that one, I have spiny orbweavers all over the place in my yard.

That's awesome! This species has been a Safari Ltd. 'Incredible Creatures' or 'Hidden Kingdom' wish of mine for a long time, so when I discovered this K&M set a while back I was ecstatic!

[Gwangi]

I really like that one, I have spiny orbweavers all over the place in my yard.

That's awesome! This species has been a Safari Ltd. 'Incredible Creatures' or 'Hidden Kingdom' wish of mine for a long time, so when I discovered this K&M set a while back I was ecstatic!

It was a species I always wanted to see when I was living in New York, then when I moved to Maryland 4 years ago I saw my first one and kind of geeked out over it. But they're everywhere here and their webs can be a nuisance if you're hiking in the woods. I guess these K&M spiders are something else I have to add to the ever growing wish list of discontinued toys.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Cheirotonus jansoni (Jordan, 1898)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: DeAgostini
Series: World Insect Data Book
Year of Production: unknown
Size/Scale: Body length (excluding appendages) 5.5 cm, within scale 1:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third species of Cheirotonus we've seen in the Museum. The DeAgostini insects 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: Southeast Asia (China, Myanmar, Vietnam)
Habitat: Subtropical highland broadleaf forests
Diet: Larvae feed on rotting wood in treeholes; adults feed on sap flows.
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had trouble researching information on the biology of this species; however, they are not uncommon with skilled breeder hobbyists.

[bmathison1972]

Species: Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 (western honey bee)

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Trendmasters
Series: Insect Predators
Year of Production: 1993
Size/Scale: Body length 5.5 cm for a scale of 4.5:1-3:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen A. mellifera in the Museum. Today's figure was specifically sold as a 'killer bee' even though in reality such a concept doesn't exist (see below). Toys in the Insect Predators collection comes with a base and a clear plastic cover with five 'air holes' at the top and a front pane that functions as a magnifying glass (see inset); I think it is to make it appear as if the critter is in a cage. There is also a sound device built into the base (mine is either broken or the batteries have long since expired, so I have no idea what it sounds like). Most animals in the various Trendmasters collections are soft and rather stylized, as shown here as today's honey bee appears to have only one pair of functional wings (should be two)!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Nearly worldwide. Believed native to Africa and/or Central Asia, with natural spread throughout Africa and Europe; introduced to the Western Hemisphere, Australia, New Zealand, and East Asia for honey production
Habitat: Highly varied; anywhere with suitable hive-building sites and flowers for food source.
Diet: Larvae are fed pollen by the adults; adults eat nectar and pollen
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Data Deficient
Miscellaneous Notes: In the 1950s, an African subspecies of honey bee (A. m. scutellata) was crossbred with European subspecies in an attempt to make a breed that would produce more honey in tropical climates. In 1957, 26 swarms of the Africa subspecies escaped quarantine in Brazil and started crossbreeding with European subspecies in the area. These hybrids were more defensive than other strains and are more likely to respond to disturbances, giving the impression they are naturally more aggressive towards humans and more likely to attack. These Africanized bees moved northward, reaching Mexico in 1985 and the United States in the early 1990s. The term 'killer bee' was used by the media to sell sensationalism and by film producers to sell horror movies. It created widespread fear and people would call local extension offices and pest control companies every time they saw a honey bee, fearing it was a 'killer bee'. In reality, any honey bee will aggressively protect its colony when provoked, not just the African hybrids, and it is impossible to recognize an African strain from gross morphology alone.