Mathison Museum of Natural History

One of my favourite Bandai figures

Species: Homoderus mellyi Parry, 1862

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Stag Beetles Vol. 5
Year of Production: 2023
Size/Scale: Body length (including mandibles) approx. 8.0 cm for a scale of 2.7:1-1.5:1 (average scale of 2:1)
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen H. mellyi in the Museum. Assembly is required and the final product has some points of articulation. I cannot remember if this figure came with the option of being displayed in flight (Bandai is including wings less frequently as of late, requiring collectors to buy wings, which may have been created for other species, separately from their online store).

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Equatorial Africa, including Cameroon, DRC, Uganda
Habitat: Rainforests
Diet: Presumably larvae breed in decaying wood and/or humus; adults attracted to sap flows
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: I had trouble finding information on the natural biology of this species. It is commercially bred in Cameroon for the collecting trade and are popular with breeders in terraria.

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

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: For Corporation
Series: Another Aquarium - Light Up Figure
Year of Production: 2018
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 7.0 cm for a scale of 1:7.7 for a male or 1:11.4 for a female.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen T. tridentatus in the Museum. This figure has an interesting and bizarre pedigree. It was originally to be produced by AquaMeridian for Season 2 of their Ocean Organism Series in 2013. When sales for the first set where not as good as expected, Season 2 was canceled. I am not sure of their current status of AquaMeridian, but at the time of this writing their website is still active. For Corporation bought the rights to several AquaMeridian figures from both Season 1 and the planned Season 2 (including today's horseshoe crab), and released them under their own line, Another Aquarium. The paperwork that accompanied this figure includes credits to both AquaMeridian and the original sculptor. What is interesting, is that when this figure was first announced by AquaMeridian, it was advertised as the mangrove horseshoe crab, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda. For Corporation changed it to T. tridentatus. In terms of the dorsal sculpture and the shape of the telson ('tail') in cross section, it is a better fit for T. tridentatus, but ventrally it is not accurate for either species. Ventrally, it looks to have been modeled after the Atlantic horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus (an error I am noticing with greater frequency in T. tridentatus figures!).

The horseshoe crab is removable from the water spout and the water spout is removable from the trophy-style base. Their is a small LED light on the wooden base under the water spout (hence the 'Light up Figure' in the name of the series) that can be activated by a switch on the bottom of the base, illuminating the bottom half of the water spout (and to this date, mine still works).

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: Like other horseshoe crabs, T. tridentatus exhibits marked sexual dimorphism with regards to size. Females are up to 79.5 cm while males are smaller, up to 54 cm. One of the only ways to reliably sex horseshoe crabs is the shape of the genital pores, which are located first gill cover at the base of the first pair of book gills.

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Very nice

Species: Dorcus hopei binodulosus Waterhouse, 1874

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bandai
Series: Diversity of Life on Earth - Stag Beetles Vol. 3
Year of Production: 2022
Size/Scale: Wingspan (as displayed here) approx. 18.0 cm. Body length (including mandibles) approx. 11.0 cm for a scale of 2:1-1.4:1 for a major male.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the ninth time we've seen D. h. binodulosus in the Museum. Assembly is required and the final product has several points of articulation. I continue to display mine with the wings open, as shown here; as frequently as this species is produced, there are very few displayed in flight.

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: While female stag beetles are capable of flight, it is usually the males that have to fly to find mates and ideal feeding and breeding sites. Interestingly, while the large mandibles of major males gives them an advantage when fighting for females, the extra weight might limit movement by flight!

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Species: Megacrania tsudai Shiraki, 1933
Common name(s): Japanese peppermint stick insect

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Chocoegg Animatales Series 3
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 5.3 cm for a scale of 1:1.7-1:2.8
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, assembly is required

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution:  Various islands of Taiwan (Taiwan proper, Orchid, Green Islands) and Japan (Iriomote, Ishigaki)
Habitat: Coastal woodlands, coastal heathland
Diet: Plants in the genus Pandanus (screw palm)
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Megacrania tsudai is dioecious (having separate male and female sexes), but some populations in the wild are parthenogenetic, consisting of only females that lay viable eggs without the need for a male.

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Species: Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius, 1775)
Common name(s): southern black widow

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: K&M International
Series: Spiders Bulk
Year of Production: 1997
Size/Scale: Legspan approx. 7.5 cm. Body length (excl appendages) approx. 2.3 cm for a scale of 2.5:1-1.8:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the sixth time we've seen L. mactans in the Museum. It's a well-made figure for its size and the era in which it was produced; similarly-sized figures from the same era include those by Play Visions (1995) and Club Earth (year unknown). All three are unique sculpts.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Eastern and southeastern USA and the West Indies; naturalized in Hawaii.
Habitat: Forests, fields, rodent burrows, disturbed areas, houses, gardens, garages, sheds.
Diet: Small insects and other arthropods
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The silk of L. mactans is extremely strong, with a tensile strength of nearly 1,000 megapascals (MPa). This is comparable to the strength of steel wire of the same thickness. However, since the spider's silk is less dense, it's actually stronger than steel of the same weight by a factor of five.

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Species: Megaceryle lugubris (Temminck, 1834)
Common name(s): crested kingfisher

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Chocoegg Animatales Series 3
Year of Production: 2000
Size/Scale: Total figure height approx. 4.7 cm. Body length approx. 5.5 cm for a scale of 1:7.5-1:7.8.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: Being one of the original Chocoegg figures, assembly is required.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Himalayan Mountains to East and Southeast Asia and Japan
Habitat: Montane riparian forests
Diet: Fish, amphibians, freshwater crustaceans
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: Megaceryle lugubris nests in a burrow excavated in the vertical bank in a forested area; the burrow can be by a river or within roughly 1.5 km away from water. Both sexes participate in excavating the burrow, but only the female incubates the eggs. Both parents feed the young. Young fledge in approximately 40 days.

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Species: Micrommata virescens (Clerck, 1757)
Common name(s): green huntsman spider

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Large Insects and Spiders
Year of Production: 2008
Size/Scale: Body length (exclusive of appendages) approx. 5.0 cm for a scale of 4.2:1-3.1:1 for a female specimen (see below).
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: Micrommata virescens is sexually dimorphic in relation to size and color; this figure is painted after a female specimen and so the scale above is calculated based on the size range for females. Oh, and look, the eye arrangement is correct!

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Palearctic
Habitat: Damp woodlands, forest edges, meadows, parks, suburban gardens; usually on lower branches, grasses, or sedge tussocks
Diet: Insects and other arachnids
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Micrommata virescens does not construct a web. It is a diurnal hunter, relying on camouflage to hide as it stalks potential prey. Its color also protects it from would-be predators.

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Species: Nyctereutes procyonoides
Common name(s): common raccoon dog; mangut; neogurl

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Wild Dogs
Year of Production: 1996
Size/Scale: Body length (excl. tail) approx. 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:10-13.6
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare to unique (see below)
Miscellaneous Notes: Raccoon dogs are frequently made by Japanese manufacturers, but it generally assumed they represent the Japanese raccoon dog (N. viverrinus) even if advertised as N. procyonoides (see below). Today's figure by Play Visions is specifically marked 'Siberian raccoon dog' indicating it was meant to represent the mainland population.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: East Asia; naturalized in Europe
Habitat: Forests, forest margins, marshes, reedbeds; generally in areas with thick underbrush or dense vegetation
Diet: Non-discriminant omnivore, including small vertebrate animals, invertebrates, carrion, eggs, human refuse
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: The Japanese raccoon dog, N. viverrinus, which is endemic to Japan, used to be considered a subspecies of N. procyonoides. Evidence for the recognition of two species is based on morphologic, behavioral, distributional, and genetic data. One of the most convincing arguments for the recognition of two species is that the karyotype (form and number of chromosomes) is different between the two populations and there is no evidence (from what I can tell) that the two populations can mate and produce viable offspring. The two species of raccoon dogs, along with the North American grey fox, are the only canids that are capable of truly climbing (e.g., scampering up) trees.

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

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Tropical Rain Forest Stag Beetles
Year of Production: 2005
Size/Scale: Log base 6.0 cm long. Body length (including mandibles) approx. 8.5 cm, within scale 1:1 or up to 1:1.4 for a maximum-sized major male.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Very common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fifth time we've seen P. giraffa in the Museum. Some assembly is required (legs need to be attached) and the beetle is removable from its log base.

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: There are currently nine subspecies of P. giraffa, many of which live on one or more islands in Southeast Asia or the South Pacific: P. g. giraffa (India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Bhutan, Cambodia), P. g. borobudur (Sumatra, Java, Bali), P. g. daisukei (Negros, Sibuyan), P. g. keisukei (Flores, Lombok), P. g. makatai (Mindoro, Luzon), P. g. nilgiriensis (southern India), P. g. nishikawai (Sangir), P. g. nishiyami (Sulawesi), P. g. timorensis (Timor).

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Species: Pandinus imperator (Koch, 1841)
Common name(s): emperor scorpion

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Bullyland
Series: Large Insects and Spiders
Years of Production: 1992; 2009
Size/Scale: Body lengths (excl. appendages) approx. 12.0 cm and 14.5 cm for maximum scales of 1:1.6 and 1:1.4, respectively. Both figures could fit into 1:1 for smaller or younger individuals.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Common
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the fourth time we've seen P. imperator in the Museum. The smaller figure on the left was produced in 1992; the larger figure on the right was produced in 2009. The later figure shows a marked improvement in Bullyland's quality over the years. Even when Bullyland has faltered on the quality of some of their wildlife and dinosaurs, they have continued to produce spectacular arachnids (and other invertebrates) in the last decade or more.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: West Africa
Habitat: Rainforest, tropical savanna
Diet: Insects and other arthropods; occasionally small vertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: Like most other scorpions, female P. imperator carry their newborn offspring on their backs until they are ready to fend for themselves. Newborn scorpions, referred to as the pro-juvenile stage, are unable to feed or sting, and have specialized suckers on their tarsi for attaching to their mother's back.

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Species: Papilio protenor Cramer, 1775
Common name(s): spangle

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Kaiyodo
Series: Capsule Q Museum - Caterpillars Vols. 2 and 4
Years of Production: 2014; 2020
Size/Scale: Body length of 2014 figure approx. 6.7 cm for a scale of 1.7:1; body length of 2020 figure approx. 5.6 cm for a scale of 1.4:1
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Rare
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the second time we've seen P. protenor in the Museum. The upper figure was produced in 2014; the lower figure was produced in 2020.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern India and Nepal to East and Southeast Asia, Japan
Habitat: Forests and forest edges, riparian areas, citrus groves, grasslands, parks and gardens
Diet: Larvae feed primarily on Citrus, favoring C. unshiu (satsuma mandarin); adults take nectar from flowers
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Not Evaluated
Miscellaneous Notes: The osmeterium is a defensive organ found in all larval stages of Papilionidae. When the larva is threatened, the osmeterium can be everted from the first thoracic segment. In addition to possibly scaring away predators by mimicking the tongue of a snake, the osmeterium also secretes volatile organic acids. Early instars of P. protenor secrete monoterpenes and sesquiterpenoids while 5th (final) instar larvae secrete aliphatic acid and their esters (iso-butyric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, methyl iso-butyrate, methyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl iso-butyrate and ethyl 2-methylbutyrate).

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Species: †Anomalocaris canadensis Whiteaves, 1892

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Colorata
Series: Paleozoic Creatures
Year of Production: 2017
Size/Scale: Total height (as displayed here) approx. 6.5 cm. Body length (excl. appendages) approx. 5.0 cm for a scale of 1:6.9-1:7.6.
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Uncommon
Miscellaneous Notes: This is the third time we've seen A. canadensis in the Museum. The animal is removable from its base. In evaluating the figure for this post, it is actually quite accurate for the year it was made.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Early to mid-Cambrian of present-day Canada
Habitat: Marine, pelagic
Diet: Presumably soft-bodied marine invertebrates
IUCN Status (at time of posting): N/A [prehistoric]
Miscellaneous Notes: Anomalocaris canadensis is regarded as one of Earth's earliest alpha predators. However, there has been much research and debate on its feeding habits and prey preferences. The most recent studies suggest A. canadensis fed on soft-bodied animals based on such factors as the lack of wear and tear on their frontal appendages and having an oral cone that is smaller and irregular in shape, suggesting it was not capable of strong biting motions but rather indicated a suction-feeding behavior to suck up smaller, softer animals. It is also now believed Anomalocaris was a nektonic predator, feeding on other pelagic animals, and not a predator of benthic organisms on the sea floor.

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Species: Acrantophis madagascariensis (Duméril & Bibron, 1844)
Common name(s): Madagascar ground boa; Malagasy ground boa

About the Figure:
Manufacturer: Play Visions
Series: Exotic Snakes
Year of Production: 1999
Size/Scale: Body length approx. 21.7 cm for a maximum scale of 1:11.1 for a male or 1:13.8 for a female
Frequency of species in toy/figure form (at time of posting): Unique
Miscellaneous Notes: This figure is marked 'Madagascar boa'. The designation of A. madagascariensis is a community-based identification I tentatively agree with (there are two other species of Boidae endemic to Madagascar). A definitive identification is hampered by Play Visions' often stylized or exaggerated paint jobs. Most peculiar are the yellow maculae on the head, which, even on older releases of the figure that are more subtle and detailed, don't seem to be diagnostic, at least not for any Madagascan species.

About the Animal:
Geographic distribution: Northern and northwestern Madagascar
Habitat: Dry, open woodlands
Diet: Birds and small mammals
IUCN Status (at time of posting): Least Concern
Miscellaneous Notes: At a maximum length of nearly 3.0 meters, A. madagascariensis is the largest snake in Madagascar.

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