Bluebottle Fly (Calliphora vomitoria)
The Bluebottle (Calliphora vomitoria) is a far more handsome insect than its kitchen-pest reputation suggests. Beneath the nuisance lies a robust fly cloaked in dense metallic blue-violet - genuinely jewel-like, if only you could stop long enough to appreciate it before reaching for the swatter.
Bluebottles are among the most widespread and ecologically important flies in temperate regions. Adults are attracted to carrion, decaying organic matter, and open wounds, where females lay their eggs in tightly packed clusters. The larvae - maggots - develop rapidly, breaking down dead tissue with remarkable efficiency. This habit, while unappealing, makes bluebottles essential decomposers, and has led to their use in forensic entomology, where the age of maggots found on a body can help establish the time of death with considerable accuracy.
The Bluebottle's metallic colour is produced by structural interference in the cuticle rather than pigment, and the fly's compound eyes - a mosaic of thousands of individual lenses - are themselves objects of considerable optical sophistication. Few insects illustrate quite so well the gap between our aesthetic response to a creature and its actual biological interest. The Bluebottle is simultaneously one of the least popular and most ecologically essential insects in any temperate garden.
Bugs Series
Bugs gathers illustrations adapted from and inspired by founder Simon Tyler's book Bugs, published by Pavilion Children’s Books in 2017. The series celebrates the graphic elegance of insect life: armour-like exoskeletons, iridescent wings, compound eyes, and the ingenious mechanics of movement and camouflage. It’s a visual field guide reimagined—clean, bold forms and carefully tuned palettes that bring structure to the surface.
Each piece begins with the research-led drawings from the book and then goes further: refined linework, rebalanced composition, and subtle textural detailing designed for generous print sizes. The aim is clarity and presence — images that feel scientifically grounded yet striking on the wall. Printed with the same archival care as our other series, Bugs turns natural history into crisp, enduring graphic art.
Printing & Materials
Our Bugs series is produced in collaboration with specialist fine-art printing partners using museum-grade 250 gsm archival giclée paper.
Each print is made to order with exceptional precision and colour accuracy, using pigment-based inks for long-term stability and rich tonal depth.
Prints are carefully rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in rigid cardboard tubes to ensure they arrive in perfect condition, ready for framing.
All materials and processes are chosen for their longevity, texture, and fidelity to the original artwork, reflecting our commitment to quality and craft.