Phosphorus Beetle (Phosphorus virescens)

The name promises light the beetle does not produce. Phosphorus refers to the greenish cast of the exoskeleton, and the species name means becoming green - an impression of luminosity under the right conditions rather than any actual glow.

It lives in tropical forest across Indonesia and Malaysia, associated with broadleaf trees. Like most longhorns the larvae are wood-borers, developing inside trunks and branches over an extended period, breaking down timber and returning nutrients to the forest as they go.

Adults are nocturnal and strongly drawn to light, which brings them into regular contact with settlements at the forest edge - large, long-antennaed visitors that are hard to ignore. The longhorn family is one of the most species-rich groups in the entire insect order, with over 35,000 described species, and this is among the more imposing of its regional members.

A vector illustration of the Phosphorus 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.

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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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