Green Carab Beetle (Calosoma schayeri)

Australia's Green Carab Beetle (Calosoma schayeri) has the polished, almost enamelled look of something that belongs in a display case rather than a paddock. Its metallic green elytra, edged with coppery or golden tones, make it one of the more handsome ground beetles in the Australian landscape.

Calosoma schayeri is found across much of eastern and southern Australia, in habitats ranging from open woodland and grassland to suburban gardens. Like its relatives in the genus Calosoma worldwide, it is an active and voracious predator - both adults and larvae hunt caterpillars and other soft-bodied invertebrates on the ground and in low vegetation. Its appetite for pest caterpillars has earned it a positive reputation among farmers and gardeners, and it is one of a handful of Australian beetles that are widely recognised as beneficial.

The genus Calosoma - the "caterpillar hunters" - is distributed across every continent except Antarctica and includes some of the most effective natural enemies of defoliating moth caterpillars. Calosoma schayeri is the principal Australian representative of this cosmopolitan lineage, and shares the family trait of producing a pungent, oily secretion when handled - a chemical defence that discourages predators but does little to endear the beetle to anyone who picks one up. Its combination of beauty, ecological utility, and chemical truculence makes it a very typical calosomid.

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.