Mydas Fly (Gauromydas heros)

Gauromydas heros is, quite simply, the largest fly in the world. Found in the forests and cerrado of South America - particularly Brazil - this member of the family Mydidae can reach body lengths of over 60mm with a wingspan to match, a scale that makes it genuinely startling to encounter in the field.

Gauromydas heros is a member of the family Mydidae, a group of large, often wasp-mimicking flies found in warm regions worldwide. Despite its formidable size and dark, heavy-set body with a distinctive orange band on the abdomen, it is entirely harmless to humans - it has no sting, and adults are thought to feed on nectar or possibly not at all during their brief adult lives. Their larvae develop in the nests of leaf-cutter ants (Atta species), where they are believed to be predators of the ant brood - a bold living arrangement given the ferocity with which these ants defend their colonies.

The association between Mydas fly larvae and leaf-cutter ant nests is one of the more remarkable and poorly understood relationships in tropical entomology. How the larvae gain access to and survive within a colony of millions of aggressive ants remains largely mysterious. Gauromydas heros is a scarce insect, seldom seen and difficult to study, which only adds to its reputation. Holding the title of the world's largest fly is distinction enough, but doing so while living among leaf-cutters suggests a life considerably more interesting than its size alone implies.

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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