Butterfly – Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)

No butterfly on Earth covers more ground than the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui). Present on every continent except Antarctica and South America, it undertakes multi-generational migrations that can span thousands of kilometres, with individuals crossing the Sahara at altitudes above a thousand metres.

What makes the Painted Lady remarkable is its epic migration. Each year, successive generations travel from tropical Africa across the Sahara and deep into Europe, reaching as far north as the Arctic Circle before returning south in autumn. This multi-generational round trip can span up to 12,000 kilometres — one of the longest insect migrations known. These journeys are driven by seasonal winds and rainfall patterns, sometimes producing immense swarms that fill the sky across multiple continents.

Adaptable and resilient, Painted Ladies thrive in open landscapes, gardens, and meadows. Their caterpillars feed primarily on thistles, while the adults draw nectar from a wide range of flowering plants. Their success lies in flexibility: they can breed wherever conditions allow, quickly taking advantage of new growth after rain or disturbance. It’s a butterfly of movement, resourcefulness, and colour — a true global traveller.

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.

Full delivery information →

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 →