Moth – Io Moth (Automeris io)

Named after a priestess of Greek myth, the Io Moth (Automeris io) keeps its best trick hidden. At rest its dull forewings conceal a pair of enormous hindwing eyespots that, when flashed at a startled predator, buy just enough time for escape. Found across North America from southern Canada to Mexico, it is one of the continent's most widespread silk moths.

The Io Moth is famous for its defensive display. When threatened, it snaps open its forewings to reveal large black-and-blue eyespots ringed in gold on its hindwings, mimicking the stare of a much larger animal and startling potential predators. Males are typically bright yellow, females a softer brown, both with a wingspan of five to eight centimetres. Adults do not feed and live only a week or two, dedicating their brief lives to reproduction.

The caterpillars are vivid green and lined with venomous spines capable of delivering a sharp sting if touched. Young larvae often travel together in small processions before dispersing as they mature. Highly adaptable, they feed on a wide range of host plants — from trees and shrubs to grasses — making Automeris io one of North America’s most versatile and recognisable moths.

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

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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