Dido Longwing Butterfly (Philaethria dido)

Translucent green patches set against jet-black wing membranes give the Dido Longwing an almost stained-glass quality as it moves through the mid-canopy. It is the largest member of the Heliconiinae, with a wingspan approaching ten centimetres, and it flies in a fast, agile zigzag that flashes the green markings in and out of the light.

Males spend most of their time high in the canopy, dropping down to drink at riverbanks and sandy beaches. Females fly lower, searching for passionflower vines on which to lay single eggs. The caterpillars are pale green with reddish spines and, like many in this family, pass their early life disguised as bird droppings.

It resembles the malachite butterfly closely enough to be mistaken for it, though the two are not close relatives - the Dido Longwing sits on an earlier branch of the heliconiine lineage, distinct in both shape and behaviour.

A vector illustration of the dido longwing in dorsal view, drawn for the Bugs series of insect art prints.

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 · 70 × 50 cm · 28 × 20 in

XLarge · 100 × 70 cm · 40 × 28 in

UK: Free · 3-5 working days

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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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