Sylphina Angel Butterfly (Chorinea sylphina)

The wings are mostly not there. Translucent panels framed by black veins, edged with iridescent colour that changes with the angle of light - a construction so unusual that the species was long grouped with the glasswings, though it is not closely related to them.

It lives in cool, misty Andean forest in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, rarely below 1,500 metres and often between 2,000 and 3,000. Adults rest beneath leaves and along stream edges, and if handled they release a yellow defensive fluid from a gland on the thorax, which is an unusual thing for a butterfly to do.

Caterpillars start life feeding in small groups, then build individual shelters from folded leaves before pupating. The species belongs to the metalmarks, a family known for intricate wing structures and reflective colour, and it is among the most distinctive members of a distinctive group.

A vector illustration of the Sylphina Angel 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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