Blue Fungus Beetle (Gibbifer californicus)

Brilliant metallic blue and found living among fungi in western North America, the Blue Fungus Beetle (Gibbifer californicus) is one of the most visually arresting members of the pleasingly named pleasing fungus beetle family (Erotylidae).

The Blue Fungus Beetle is found primarily in California, Oregon, and parts of the American Southwest, where it lives on and around bracket fungi growing on hardwood trees, particularly oaks. Both adults and larvae feed on the fruiting bodies of these polypore fungi, spending much of their lives in close association with decaying wood. Adults are relatively large for the family, with a smooth, domed body and an intense blue-black sheen that shifts subtly in different light.

The relationship between fungus beetles and their host fungi is a quiet example of ecological interdependence - the beetles rely on fungi for food and shelter, while their movement between trees may help disperse fungal spores. It is a partnership largely hidden from view, playing out on the underside of logs and in the dim interiors of woodland, far from the more celebrated dramas of pollination and predation.

Bugs is a collection of natural history illustration prints drawn from the insect world - beetles, flies, bugs, butterflies, and moths selected for the strangeness, beauty, and variety of their forms.

Each illustration is adapted from Simon Tyler's book Bugs, published by Pavilion in 2017 and subsequently published in French and Chinese. The series draws on the tradition of scientific natural history illustration - precise, considered, and attentive to the details that make each species distinctive.

Insects account for the majority of all known animal species on Earth. This collection is a small survey of what that diversity looks like.

All prints are produced to order on 250gsm archival matte paper using pigment-based inks, chosen for colour accuracy and long-term stability.

Each print is rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in a rigid cardboard tube, sealed for moisture protection, ready for framing on arrival.

Large · 50 × 70 cm · 20 × 28 in

XLarge · 70 × 100 cm · 28 × 40 in

UK: Free · 3-5 working days

Europe: €8.50 · 3-7 working days · No customs charges

USA & Canada: $8.95 / $12.00 CAD · 5-10 working days

Australia: $14.00 AUD · 5-10 working days

Rest of World: £14.95 · 7-14 working days

All prints are produced to order and dispatched within 1-3 working days. Orders placed before 5pm GMT ship the same day. You'll receive tracking information by email once dispatched.

Orders outside Europe may be subject to local customs charges on delivery - these are the responsibility of the recipient.

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Returns accepted within 30 days. Email returns@axisophy.com with your order number and we'll provide return instructions.

Return postage is the customer's responsibility except where the print arrives damaged or there's been an error - in which case we'll arrange a replacement or refund immediately, no return needed.

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