Blue Spotted Tiger Beetle (Cicindela aurulenta)

The Blue-spotted Tiger Beetle (Cicindela aurulenta) wears iridescent green armour studded with vivid blue spots - a colour combination that makes it one of the most visually striking predatory beetles across South and Southeast Asia.

Blue-spotted Tiger Beetles inhabit sandy riverbanks, forest clearings, and open ground across India, China, and the Malay Archipelago. Like all tiger beetles, they are fierce hunters - sprinting after prey at speeds so great relative to their body size that they temporarily go blind mid-chase. Their long, sickle-shaped mandibles snap shut on small invertebrates with remarkable precision, making them among the most effective ground-level predators in their habitat.

Tiger beetles have long fascinated entomologists, not least because of their speed. Some species can cover over 120 body lengths per second - the equivalent of a human running at around 480 miles per hour. The Blue-spotted Tiger Beetle may not be the fastest of its clan, but its combination of metallic colour, elegant form, and predatory efficiency makes it one of the most admired.

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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