Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)

Few British beetles make such an immediate impression as the Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis), whose vivid scarlet wing cases flash like a warning flare against the bark and dead wood where it spends most of its life.

Cardinal Beetles are found in woodlands, hedgerows, and gardens, where adults are most visible in May and June. They are often seen resting on flowers, fence posts, and sunny surfaces near dead wood. The larvae develop under the bark of dead and decaying trees - oaks, beeches, and willows - where they are predators of other insect larvae. Adults are thought to feed on small insects, nectar, and pollen, and their bright red colouring may serve as a warning - some evidence suggests they can produce mildly distasteful compounds.

The red colouring that gives the Cardinal Beetle its name places it in a long tradition of associations between scarlet insects and religious or regal symbolism. The three British Pyrochroa species - distinguished mainly by head colour (red, black, or orange) - are among the most reliable indicators of dead-wood habitat, and their presence is a sign that a woodland or garden retains enough structural diversity to support a complex invertebrate community. They are beautiful, useful, and entirely harmless - a combination that should, by rights, make them more widely appreciated than they are.

Bugs Series

Bugs gathers illustrations adapted from and inspired by founder Simon Tyler's book Bugs, published by Pavilion Children’s Books in 2017. The series celebrates the graphic elegance of insect life: armour-like exoskeletons, iridescent wings, compound eyes, and the ingenious mechanics of movement and camouflage. It’s a visual field guide reimagined—clean, bold forms and carefully tuned palettes that bring structure to the surface.

Each piece begins with the research-led drawings from the book and then goes further: refined linework, rebalanced composition, and subtle textural detailing designed for generous print sizes. The aim is clarity and presence — images that feel scientifically grounded yet striking on the wall. Printed with the same archival care as our other series, Bugs turns natural history into crisp, enduring graphic art.

Printing & Materials

Our Bugs series is produced in collaboration with specialist fine-art printing partners using museum-grade 250 gsm archival giclée paper.

Each print is made to order with exceptional precision and colour accuracy, using pigment-based inks for long-term stability and rich tonal depth.

Prints are carefully rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in rigid cardboard tubes to ensure they arrive in perfect condition, ready for framing.

All materials and processes are chosen for their longevity, texture, and fidelity to the original artwork, reflecting our commitment to quality and craft.