St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci)

Named for its habit of appearing around St Mark's Day on 25 April, the St Mark's Fly (Bibio marci) is one of those insects most people have seen but few can name. Its glossy black body and characteristic dangling legs make it easy to identify - once noticed, it is hard to forget.

St Mark's Flies take their common name from their habit of appearing around St Mark's Day (25 April) in the British Isles, though their season can stretch from late March into June depending on conditions. Males are frequently seen drifting slowly through the air in loose swarms, legs trailing beneath them, hovering at head height near hedgerows and woodland edges. This languid, almost aimless-looking flight is a mating display - females are drawn to the swarms, and pairing takes place on the wing.

Despite their unremarkable appearance, St Mark's Flies play a quiet but significant ecological role. Adults are effective pollinators, visiting a wide range of flowers, while their larvae spend months in the soil feeding on decaying plant material and helping to break down organic matter. They are a textbook example of the kind of uncharismatic insect that underpins ecosystem health without attracting much attention - essential workers of the invertebrate world.

Bugs Series

Bugs gathers illustrations adapted from and inspired by founder Simon Tyler's book Bugs, published by Pavilion Children’s Books in 2017. The series celebrates the graphic elegance of insect life: armour-like exoskeletons, iridescent wings, compound eyes, and the ingenious mechanics of movement and camouflage. It’s a visual field guide reimagined—clean, bold forms and carefully tuned palettes that bring structure to the surface.

Each piece begins with the research-led drawings from the book and then goes further: refined linework, rebalanced composition, and subtle textural detailing designed for generous print sizes. The aim is clarity and presence — images that feel scientifically grounded yet striking on the wall. Printed with the same archival care as our other series, Bugs turns natural history into crisp, enduring graphic art.

Printing & Materials

Our Bugs series is produced in collaboration with specialist fine-art printing partners using museum-grade 250 gsm archival giclée paper.

Each print is made to order with exceptional precision and colour accuracy, using pigment-based inks for long-term stability and rich tonal depth.

Prints are carefully rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in rigid cardboard tubes to ensure they arrive in perfect condition, ready for framing.

All materials and processes are chosen for their longevity, texture, and fidelity to the original artwork, reflecting our commitment to quality and craft.