Moth – Madagascan Sunset Moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus)

Often mistaken for a butterfly, the Madagascan Sunset Moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus) is a day-flying moth whose iridescent wings cycle through green, gold, magenta and violet depending on the angle of light. Endemic to Madagascar, it depends entirely on toxic Omphalea plants as larval food, sequestering their poisons and advertising the fact with colour that few predators ignore.

Unlike most moths, the Sunset Moth is active by day and is often mistaken for a butterfly thanks to its bright palette and quick, fluttering flight. With a wingspan of up to nine centimetres, it’s found throughout much of Madagascar except the arid south, migrating seasonally in search of Omphalea host plants. Its striking colours serve both as a signal to mates and a warning to predators — an honest display of toxicity inherited from its caterpillar’s diet.

Celebrated by collectors and naturalists around the world, this species has long been considered one of the most beautiful insects ever described. Its wing scales create colours that shift with angle and light, a vivid example of the physics behind structural colour and one of nature’s most remarkable optical designs.

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.

Full returns policy →