Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis)

Few British beetles register as quickly as this one: vivid scarlet wing cases against the bark and dead wood where it spends its life. Adults are out in May and June, resting on flowers, fence posts and sunny surfaces near rotting timber.

The larvae live under the bark of dead oak, beech and willow, where they are predators of other insect larvae. That dependence makes the species useful to know. The three British Pyrochroa species, told apart mainly by head colour, are among the more reliable indicators that a wood or garden still holds enough decaying timber to support a full invertebrate community.

What the red advertises is not settled. There is some evidence the beetles produce mildly distasteful compounds; it may also be that scarlet is warning enough on its own. Either way they are harmless to handle, useful to have, and considerably less appreciated than they deserve.

A vector illustration of the cardinal beetle 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 · 50 × 70 cm · 20 × 28 in

XLarge · 70 × 100 cm · 28 × 40 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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