Goliath Beetle (Goliathus goliatus)

Weighing in at over 80 grams in its larval stage - roughly the heft of a small apple - the Goliath Beetle (Goliathus goliatus) is one of the heaviest insects on Earth. Native to equatorial Africa's tropical forests, it is built on a scale that challenges the very idea of what a beetle should be.

Goliath Beetles are found in countries across West and Central Africa, from Cameroon and Nigeria to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Males bear a distinctive Y-shaped horn on the head, used in shoving contests with rivals over feeding sites and mates. Despite their bulk, adults are capable of flight, producing a deep, buzzing drone as they move between trees in search of sugary fruit, sap, and pollen. Their larvae develop in rich, decaying plant material on the forest floor, growing to extraordinary size over several months before pupating.

The sheer scale of the Goliath Beetle raises interesting questions about the limits of insect body size. Insects breathe through a network of tiny tubes called tracheae that deliver oxygen directly to their tissues - a system that becomes less efficient as body size increases. The Goliath Beetle essentially pushes this system to its modern limit, and its existence is a reminder that the giant insects of the Carboniferous period - dragonflies with 70cm wingspans - were made possible by an atmosphere far richer in oxygen than today's.

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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