Mydas Fly (Gauromydas heros)

Gauromydas heros is the largest fly in the world. Body length passes 60 millimetres, with a wingspan to match, which makes meeting one in the forests or cerrado of Brazil a genuinely startling experience. It is dark and heavy-set, with an orange band across the abdomen, and completely harmless: no sting, and adults may not feed at all in their short lives.

The larvae are the strange part. They develop inside the nests of leaf-cutter ants, where they appear to prey on the ant brood - a bold address, given that a mature Atta colony holds several million ants that defend it with organised ferocity. How a fly larva enters such a nest, and why it is tolerated once inside, has never been properly explained.

That gap in the record is typical of the species. It is scarce, seldom seen, and difficult to study, so the largest fly on Earth remains one of the more poorly documented insects of its size anywhere.

A vector illustration of the mydas fly 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 →