Green Carab Beetle (Calosoma schayeri)

It has an enamelled, almost lacquered finish: metallic green elytra edged in copper and gold, on an animal that spends its life hunting through paddocks and leaf litter.

Adults and larvae both pursue caterpillars and other soft-bodied invertebrates across the ground and low vegetation, and they are effective enough to have earned a genuinely good reputation among farmers and gardeners - one of the few Australian beetles widely recognised as beneficial. It ranges across eastern and southern Australia, from open woodland and grassland to suburban gardens.

The genus Calosoma - the caterpillar hunters - occurs on every continent except Antarctica and includes some of the most effective natural enemies of defoliating moths. This is the principal Australian representative, and it shares the family habit of releasing a pungent oily secretion when handled: a defence that works well on predators and does nothing for its popularity with anyone who picks one up.

A vector illustration of the green carab 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.

Full delivery information →

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.

Full returns policy →