Io Moth (Automeris io)

Folded, the Io Moth is unremarkable. Startled, it snaps its forewings open to reveal a pair of huge black-and-blue eyespots ringed in gold, staring out of the hindwings. The effect buys the second or two needed to escape, which is the entire point.

Males are bright yellow, females a softer brown, both with a wingspan of five to eight centimetres. The adults have no functional mouthparts and never feed, living a week or two entirely on reserves banked as caterpillars.

Those caterpillars are worth respecting. Vivid green and lined with venomous spines, they deliver a sharp sting to anything that brushes them, and the young ones travel in small processions before dispersing. They eat almost anything - trees, shrubs, grasses - which is why this is one of the most widespread silk moths in North America, found from southern Canada to Mexico.

A vector illustration of the Io Moth 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

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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