Coleoptera - Beetles

[Beetle guy]

On this Sega figurine line(s)
The SEGA big beetles (note: not an official series name, just to label it) came in blisterpack and some with a plastic strap holding a information card (like this one).
Many beetles were produced and sometimes with alternative or altered sculpts for particular species. The style of the series figurines differs so much that they can hardly be seen as a whole. Most of them were released from 2006 to 2009 and pretty hard to find. I do think to know all of them made by now. I did not keep/collect all, because some were a bit badly made to my opinion, focusing mainly on realistic figurines. The quality of the molds differs hugely in these big beetles. Some look less realistic and/or very bulky, others are just great and some can even compete with the DeAgostini beetles (64 models from real beetles, the best in beetle figurines there is) the SEGA DX_series and certianly some F-toy ones.

On the beetle
Dynastes satanas is a species of beetle (family Scarabaeidae). Dynastes satanas can reach a length of 50–115 millimetres in males (the females 30–55 millimetres). Males have one large horn on the pronotum, with a dense reddish pubescence on the underside of the horn.
Because of collecting and habitat loss this rare species is protected and on the list of insects regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

On the figurine
This model is one  of the finest in the series. It has very realistic details and legs as well, not the bulky ones like some of the beetles in the DX-series (see my walkarounds on them). The legs are slightly bendable but not poseable. The head is moveable. From the horns to the tip of the abdomen it measures: 10,9 cm, so scale 1:1 for a big male.

The pic's..

[Beetle guy]

Sometimes you run in to something very special like this model from Hawk (kit no 516-98). A Pseudolucanus capreolus. It was released in 1960, so 58 years old!

The reddish-brown stag beetle (Lucanus capreolus) is a beetle of the family Lucanidae. It lives mainly in deciduous forests in the Eastern United States and in parts of Canada.
Capreolus, derived from Latin, meaning "roe deer" (actually "little goat"). In the Netherlands lives the species Platycerus caraboides (a beautiful metalic blue, females mostly green, Lucanidae species) which is called "Little blue goat".

I had seen the box a few times on Ebay, but never took serious notice. The box illustration depicts the beetle with funny proportions of the body parts. And it was named "BERTRAM" The stag beetle. So I thought it a kids model or a bulky model like the Heller-kits, which I personally do not like so much. The box came with a building plan and a little description of the beetle and it's lifecycle.



But then an Ebay seller had it complete for a good price and with good pictures of the box! I could read the text:
'Authentic to the smallest detail'and 'Faithfully reproduced from actual specimens supplied by a leading museum'. I decided to go for it ;-).
It is indeed very accurate!



There were also an ant, locust and dragonfly made in the series.







The stag beetle model had 56 unassembled parts, all in a redish brown colour. The plastic was very "weak", maybe because the age and/or storage it had. But what a magnificent detail!
So here are some parts in the first painting fase. I took the time to patiently paint it, using an actual (dead) specimen for reference.





Half a year later I had the time to paint the rest and start assembling.











I will post some more pictures of the finished model soon!

[bmathison1972]

Wow Marcel, that is awesome. That is exactly the kind of thing I'd like to hunt down! Very similar to the Heller and AMT model kits I have presented here. And, this might be the only figure specifically attributed to Lucanus capreolus, a North American species! And your paint job is exquisite. I cannot paint that good (as seen in my model kits).

EDIT: while hunting this down, I did find a cool L. maculifemoratus model kit, but uggh I want L. capreolus!!!!

[Beetle guy]

And some photo's of the finished model. It took hours of painting and glueing, also because some part broke after making effects with terpentine and paint they became very weak. But I managed to repair and repaint all broken parts.
It measures about 18,5 cm.

So 58 years after it was released it has been painted and put together. It was released 11 years before I was born ;-)

I'm pleased with the result.

[bmathison1972]

Man you are a talented painter. And I won't like, I am really jealous for this figure ;-). I have searched vigorously online with no luck. I did find the grasshopper on Jauce for 200+ USD but not willing to drop that money (at least for the grasshopper)

[Beetle guy]

Man you are a talented painter. And I won't like, I am really jealous for this figure ;-). I have searched vigorously online with no luck. I did find the grasshopper on Jauce for 200+ USD but not willing to drop that money (at least for the grasshopper)

Thanks! A lot of time went in it ;-)
The stag beetle is on Yahoo to I think,  but also very expensive.
It sometimes apears on Ebay. I got mine from an israellian seller. I saw them a few times but the US based sellers did not ship to the Netherlands.

[bmathison1972]

Man you are a talented painter. And I won't like, I am really jealous for this figure ;-). I have searched vigorously online with no luck. I did find the grasshopper on Jauce for 200+ USD but not willing to drop that money (at least for the grasshopper)

Thanks! A lot of time went in it ;-)
The stag beetle is on Yahoo to I think,  but also very expensive.
It sometimes apears on Ebay. I got mine from an israellian seller. I saw them a few times but the US based sellers did not ship to the Netherlands.

if you see one let me know! If you can secure it that would be great. I might even double the price to have you assemble and paint as well hehe ;-)

[Beetle guy]

Man you are a talented painter. And I won't like, I am really jealous for this figure ;-). I have searched vigorously online with no luck. I did find the grasshopper on Jauce for 200+ USD but not willing to drop that money (at least for the grasshopper)

I have send you a link!

[brontodocus]

Oh, wow, what a superb job you did on this one, Marcel!  But the model absolutely deserves it. I think I've seen this kit in listings before and haven't been interested because of the box cover. Who would have thought how accurate and fine it really is!

[brontodocus]

Ah, wonderful figure! While not among the least known species among Dynastinae, it's still a rare sight as a figure. If I recall correctly, D. satanas is also the only beetle species that falls under CITES regulations, this one and a handful of butterflies are the only insects listed.

[Beetle guy]

Ah, wonderful figure! While not among the least known species among Dynastinae, it's still a rare sight as a figure. If I recall correctly, D. satanas is also the only beetle species that falls under CITES regulations, this one and a handful of butterflies are the only insects listed.

Yes, a bit bizar considering that about 60% of known living species is an insect ;-)

[Beetle guy]

Oh, wow, what a superb job you did on this one, Marcel!  But the model absolutely deserves it. I think I've seen this kit in listings before and haven't been interested because of the box cover. Who would have thought how accurate and fine it really is!

The same counts for me. Until one seller did photograph the pieces in their racks. And also the little print on the box.
Then I noticed the much better detail and proportion.

It was really fun to do. Probably going to use this in an educational stag beetle project I am working on with a befriended taxidermist.

[bmathison1972]

Walk-around of the Miyama Stag Beetle, Lucanus maculifemoratus Motschulsky, 1861 by AMAI, World of Insects Collection, No. 2 (year unknown). First thing first, this is not a typical model kit as previously reviewed for companies like Heller or AMT/Ertl. This is essentially a 'build your own' wind-up toy. I do not normally collect wind-up, mechanical, R/C type figures; in fact, before moving I dumped a bunch of them. Had I known this I might not have bought it, but I did, and so here it is (and frankly now that it is complete, I rather enjoy it!).

This figure is one of four in the set, the others being Allomyrina dichotoma, Dynastes hercules, and Prosopocoilus giraffa. The figure comes in only 11 pieces (including the components needed for moving parts to function). No glue or adhesives are necessary. The base color is a glossy black and there is no recommendation for painting (and since this is a generally uniformly monochromatic dark species, I did not). When fully assembled, the figure is 7.0 cm (not including appendages or mandibles) which makes it 1:1 for a large, major male (the box advertises it as 1:1). Assembly is fast and easy, which is one reason why it's already done ;-)

There are two options for function/display. One is to have a 'wind-up' handle, to make the legs and mandibles move. The other is a suction cup to attach it to a smooth vertical surface. I chose the former, and luckily everything is snug enough it can sit as a stable figure (one of the reasons I ended up liking it when complete). I get the impression from the accompanying paperwork, these figures are to be played with in a battle-type game.

One interesting note about the accompanying paperwork. There is a map showing where the four species in the set come from. They have the L. maculifemoratus coming from India. I know it occurs in Japan, but I do not think it goes that far west. Marcel, can you confirm? Maybe they wanted to species to occur from different places to enhance the 'battle' aspect.

Will I hunt down the other three? Not certain. Maybe if I found them inexpensive and easily available, perhaps, but I am not going too far out of my way to hunt them down.

On to the pics!

[Beetle guy]

On this Sega figurine line(s)
The SEGA big beetles (note: not an official series name, just to label it) came in blisterpack (like this one) and some with a plastic strap holding a information card.
Many beetles were produced and sometimes with alternative or altered molds for particular species. The style of the series figurines differs so much that they can hardly be seen as a whole. Most of them were released from 2006 to 2009 and pretty hard to find. I do think to know all of them made by now. I did not keep/collect all, because some were a bit badly made to my opinion, focusing mainly on realistic figurines. The quality of the molds differs hugely in these big beetles. Some look less realistic and/or very bulky, others are just great and some can even compete with the DeAgostini beetles (64 models from real beetles, the best in beetle figurines there is) the SEGA DX_series and certianly some F-toy ones.

On the beetle
Prosopocoilus inclinatus (sawtooth stag beetle) is a beetle of the prosopocoilus family. It is a typical stag beetle that lives widely in Japan. It was named because of the large number of teeth in the inside of the males mandibles representing a saw. The body length is 24.2 mm - 77.0 mm for a male, and 19.5 - 41 mm for a female.

On the figurine
This model is one  of the finest in the series. I came across it on Global Rakuten once. I had never seen it before in an auction or for sale and have never seen one for sale since. It came in a blisterpackage with a Mushi King playing card. It has very realistic details and legs as well, not the bulky ones like some of the beetles in the DX-series (see my walkarounds on them). The legs are slightly bendable but not poseable. The mandibles are slightlys moveable. From the mandibles to the tip of the abdomen it measures: 71 mm, so scale 1:1 for a big male.

The pic's..

[bmathison1972]

Nice. I have a few Sega 'big' non-DX figures but not this one. I do have a Subarudo one to represent a large figure. Oh, checking my inventory I do have 20 figures of this species LOL

[stargatedalek]

Nice. I have a few Sega 'big' non-DX figures but not this one. I do have a Subarudo one to represent a large figure. Oh, checking my inventory I do have 20 figures of this species LOL

If I were to hazard a guess I'd say that this species is what a lot of indeterminate figures are meant to represent (Safari Smithsonian to name a more obvious one).

[bmathison1972]

Nice. I have a few Sega 'big' non-DX figures but not this one. I do have a Subarudo one to represent a large figure. Oh, checking my inventory I do have 20 figures of this species LOL

If I were to hazard a guess I'd say that this species is what a lot of indeterminate figures are meant to represent (Safari Smithsonian to name a more obvious one).

I always had it in the back of my mind the Safari Smithsonian figure was a Prosopocoilus of some kind, not this particular species. I recently got the Stag Beetles of the World in PDF form by Beetle Guy and should see if I could find a good fit. Now, the K&M Wild Republic Polybag stag beetle is a pretty darn good representation of P. astacoides, which gives us collectors a unique species!

[Beetle guy]

On this Sega figurine line(s)
The SEGA big beetles (note: not an official series name, just to label it) came in blisterpack and some with a plastic strap holding a information card.
Many beetles were produced and sometimes with alternative or altered molds for particular species. The style of the series figurines differs so much that they can hardly be seen as a whole. Most of them were released from 2003 to 2009 and pretty hard to find. I do think to know all of them made by now. I did not keep/collect all, because some were a bit badly made to my opinion, focusing mainly on realistic figurines. The quality of the molds differs in these big beetles. Some look less realistic and/or very bulky, others are just great and one (Chalcosoma moellenkampi) can even compete with the DeAgostini beetles (64 models from real beetles, the best in beetle figurines there is) the SEGA DX_series and certianly some F-toy ones.

On the beetle
Elephant beetles are black in color but apear yellowish/brown due to a coat of fine microscopic 'hairs'.  The Males have two horns protruding from the head. And two with one bump in the middle from the prothorax. Females have no horns. These horns are mainly used  in competition among males for food and mates and for defending. Elephant beetles are located in southern Mexico, Central America, and in South American rainforests.

Male elephant beetles sizes range between 55-135 mm, females size between 50-90 mm.

On the figurine
This model is one  of the biggest in the series. It came in a blisterpackage with a Mushi King playing card. It has very realistic details and legs. The legs are slightly bendable but not poseable. The head is moveable. The horns on the prothorax are not really realisticly shaped, a little bit to rounded. From the cephalic horn to the tip of the abdomen it measures: 132 mm, so scale 1:1 for a big male.

First the four Sega Megasoma elephas figurines I have.
A: From the Mushi King small beetles series B: From the small 'deluxe' series These came on a smooth brown plate with the species name on it. C: The big flying luxe model. With moveable legs, head and elytra (wing detachable) It came on a base for dispplay. I will do a walkaround on this one shortly, since it is a good alternative for D: the Sega Big one.



The Pics..

[Beetle guy]

On this Sega figurine line(s)
The SEGA Flying beetles, the big ones (note: not an official series name, just to label it) came in blisterpack and with a base for display and detachable wings and elytra.
the beetles were produced around 2006-2008, I think. There is no release year on package, figurine, card or display base.

The series included: Megasoma elephas, Megasoma actaeon, Dynastes hercules, Mesotopus tarandus, Prosopocoilus giraffa, Hexarthrius parryi, Odontolabis burmeiseri, Allomyrina dichotoma, Allotopus rosenbergi and Chalcosoma caucasus.

On the beetle
On the beetle
Elephant beetles are black in color but apear yellowish/brown due to a coat of fine microscopic 'hairs'.  The Males have two horns protruding from the head. And two with one bump in the middle from the prothorax. Females have no horns. These horns are mainly used  in competition among males for food and mates and for defending. Elephant beetles are located in southern Mexico, Central America, and in South American rainforests. Male elephant beetles sizes range between 55-135 mm, females size between 50-90 mm.

On the figurine
This model is one  of the biggest in the series. It came in a blisterpackage with a simple card, holding no information on the series or beetle itself. It has a rubber feel to it but very realistic details and colour. The legs are slightly bendable but not all poseable, only the front legs. The head is moveable. The horns on the prothorax are not really realisticly shaped, a little bit to rounded. The elytra can be closed and the wings detached. The base that comes with it for display allows the beetle to be posed in two different ways and has the Japanese name for the beetle on it. From the cephalic horn to the tip of the abdomen it measures: 126 mm, so scale 1:1.

The pics...



compared to the other Sega Megasoma elephas figurines I have.
A: From the Mushi King small beetles series B: From the small 'deluxe' series. These came on a smooth brown plate with the species name on it. C: The big flying luxe model. With moveable legs, head and elytra (wing detachable) It came on a base for dispplay. and D: the Sega big one without wings.

[bmathison1972]

I have snooped around some and the Safari Smithsonian stag beetle looks like a cross between an Odontolabis (pronotum) and Hexarthrius (mandibles)  .

BUT, the two best options are Prosopocoilus confucius and P. giraffa daisukei