Orange Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata)

Most ladybirds eat aphids. This one eats mildew, grazing the powdery fungal growth off the leaves of deciduous trees - sycamore, ash and beech in particular - which is why it lives in woodland canopy and mature hedgerow rather than in gardens and allotments.

The wing cases are translucent pale orange with up to sixteen white spots, giving it an almost porcelain quality quite unlike the hard lacquered finish of most ladybirds.

It used to be considered scarce in Britain. Since the 1990s it has expanded its range substantially, probably helped by warmer conditions and the spread of the sycamores it feeds on, and it is now tracked by citizen science recording schemes as a useful indicator of environmental change. Not every ecological shift arrives dramatically; some proceed one wood at a time.

A vector illustration of the orange ladybird 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.

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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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