Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata)

Where most ladybirds go for bold reds and blacks, the Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata) takes a subtler approach. Its translucent orange wing cases marked with up to sixteen white spots give it a softer, more understated beauty - and a diet to match, since it feeds on mildew rather than aphids.

Unlike most ladybirds, the Orange Ladybird feeds not on aphids but on mildew - the powdery fungal growth that forms on the leaves of deciduous trees, particularly sycamores, ashes, and beeches. This unusual diet means it is most often found in woodland canopies and mature hedgerows rather than in gardens and allotments. It was once considered a relatively scarce species in Britain, but has expanded its range significantly since the 1990s, possibly in response to rising temperatures and an increase in the sycamore trees on which it frequently feeds.

The Orange Ladybird's translucent wing cases are unusual among ladybirds and give the insect an almost porcelain quality - quite different from the hard, lacquered look of most Coccinellidae. Its quiet expansion northward through Britain makes it a useful indicator of environmental change, tracked by citizen science recording schemes that rely on the public to report sightings. It is a reminder that not all ecological shifts involve dramatic arrivals or declines - some unfold gently, one woodland at a time.

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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