Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus)

The arithmetic is striking. A Stag Beetle larva can develop underground for up to seven years, feeding on rotting wood and growing to the size of a human thumb, and the adult that finally emerges lives a matter of weeks.

The male's antler-like mandibles look like weapons but are closer to sporting equipment: they are used to wrestle rival males, each beetle trying to lever the other onto its back, in encounters that are dramatic and rarely harmful. The females, with smaller and sharper jaws, are the ones that can actually bite.

That long larval stage is also the vulnerability. Stag beetles need standing dead wood, and tidying it out of parks, gardens and woodland removes seven years of habitat at a stroke. Once widespread, the species has declined markedly across northern Europe and is now protected in several countries - which has made it something of a flagship for invertebrate conservation.

A vector illustration of the stag 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.

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 →