Ceoptera (meaning “mist wing”) is a genus of darwinopteran that lived in Scotland during the mid-Jurassic. It is notable in several respects. It’s the only pterosaur known from the Kilmaluag Formation, one of the only pterosaurs known from the middle Jurassic, the second described pterosaur from Scotland (Dearc is the first), and the most complete pterosaur found in the UK since Mary Anning discovered Dimorphodon in the 1800’s. All that said, there’s still not a lot to work with. Ceoptera is known from some vertebra, fragments of the sternum and pelvis, a complete scapulocoracoid, and some bones from the left forelimb and hindlimb. There is no preserved skull, so reconstructions of Ceoptera have to borrow from related pterosaurs.
Today we’re looking at the Mattel Ceoptera, part of their Frenzy Pack line of Jurassic World toys. Not only is it the only figure of its genus, it’s also the only figure of a darwinopteran, at least that I can find. As part of the Frenzy Pack line, this is a small toy with basic action features. The toy has an articulated jaw, hindlimbs that can rotate forwards and back, and wings that are articulated at the shoulders with ball and hinge joints.
The Mattel Ceoptera measures 5.5” (13.97 cm) long and has a 10” (25.4 cm) wingspan. The actual Ceoptera is estimated to have had a wingspan of 5.2’ (1.6 meters) and using wingspan puts the toy at 1/6.24 in scale.
This toy has a ghoulish appearance with a sunken-in head, blunted, oddly spaced teeth, a goofy overbite, and a bumpy, leathery hide. All that said, it’s not bad for a retro-style, Mattel pterosaur. The bumpy skin is well detailed, and the wings are liberally sculpted with veins and little nicks and cuts along the membrane, and they look great as a result.
Anatomy-wise it isn’t terrible either. The speculative crest look like the one usually given to Ceoptera that mimics the crests of related species. The wings are long, narrow, and look proportionate to the body. There are four fingers on each forelimb, including the elongated fourth finger that supports the wing membrane. A pteroid bone can be seen extending from the wrist to support the propatagium that runs between it and the shoulder. There is no membrane connecting the legs to the tail, but this allows the legs to be articulated so I never mind its absence on these types of toys. There are five digits on each foot, and the tail has a vertical fin at its tip. It really is too bad that Mattel didn’t give the toy a furry coat as that alone would have made this a much better toy from an accuracy standpoint.
The toy is cast in a somewhat ugly greenish-brown color with green flecks and has dark brown edges and spots along the dorsal surface of the wings. The crest is dark green, and the eyes are lime green with black pupils. The teeth are white and the tongue is pink. The claws are not painted, nor is the underside of the wings. The paintjob is not particularly attractive, but it is naturalistic and compliments the toy’s ghoulish appearance. This Ceoptera looks like it flew straight out of the swamps of Skull Island.
The Mattel Ceoptera won’t win any beauty contests but is one of Mattel’s better small-sized pterosaurs and fits in well with the Jurassic World toy line. This toy was released in the summer of 2025 as part of the Rebirth wave and didn’t have great distribution. Fellow reviewer, Suspsy, was supposed to review it but was never able to find it in Canada and mine is the only specimen of it I ever came across. It’s now out of production but can still be found online in the secondary market for less than $20, which isn’t bad for a retired toy that was never easy to find in stores.
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