Caterpillar Hunter (Calosoma scrutator)

The Caterpillar Hunter (Calosoma scrutator) is proof that ground beetles are anything but dull. This large North American predator sports metallic green elytra edged with vivid blue, red, and gold - a jewel-like intensity that earns it a place among the continent's most spectacular insects.

Calosoma scrutator, sometimes called the Fiery Searcher, is found across the eastern and central United States, as well as parts of southern Canada and Mexico. Both adults and larvae are voracious predators of caterpillars, climbing trees and shrubs to hunt among the foliage - an unusual behaviour for a ground beetle. They are particularly active during outbreaks of tent caterpillars and gypsy moths, and a single adult can consume hundreds of caterpillars in a season. This appetite has made them one of the most valued natural enemies of defoliating pests in North American forests and orchards.

When disturbed, the Caterpillar Hunter sprays a hot, caustic secretion from its abdomen - a defence so effective and so pungent that the beetle's reputation among amateur collectors is one of wary respect. The secretion can stain skin and produce a burning sensation, and its smell lingers long after the encounter. Despite this, Calosoma scrutator is a genuinely beautiful insect, and one whose ecological services - consuming enormous numbers of pest caterpillars - far outweigh the occasional unpleasant encounter. It is named scrutator, the searcher, and it earns the title every night.

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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